Town in Bedfordshire, England
Luton
Luton fans reach their football ground through a gap between terraced houses, and the town made its name on straw hats before it became famous for planes.
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Key information
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Nation
- England
- Population
- About 225,000 (2021 Census)
- Known for
- Straw hats, Vauxhall vehicles, London Luton Airport, Kenilworth Road
- What locals are called
- Lutonians
- Famous people
- Monty Panesar, Paul Young, David Pleat (Luton Town manager)
- Football clubs
- Luton Town
About Luton
The football ground you enter through someone's street
Kenilworth Road is one of English football's great oddities. Away fans squeeze in through an entrance set among ordinary terraced houses on Oak Road, leading to the Oak Road stand. One corner of the stand sits right up against the back gardens. The ground opened in 1905, and Luton Town, formed in 1885, are nicknamed the Hatters. That makes the club's name a direct nod to the town's first big industry. In the 1980s the club went further than most by laying an artificial pitch, which stayed until 1991. The Hatters also have a big trophy in the cabinet: the 1988 League Cup, won 3-2 against Arsenal. In 1983 manager David Pleat skipped across the Maine Road pitch in a beige suit when a late goal kept the club in the top flight. It remains one of football's most replayed celebrations.
From non-league to the Premier League in nine years
Luton's recent story is one of the great climbs. In 2009 the club dropped out of the Football League after a points deduction. Promotion back to League Two came in 2014, then to League One in 2018, then the Championship in 2019. The final step came on 27 May 2023, when Luton beat Coventry City on penalties in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. That sent a club with a ground wedged between houses into the Premier League for the 2023-24 season. A new stadium at Power Court, closer to the town centre, has been planned as the club's longer-term home.
Why Luton was the hat town
Before planes and vans, Luton was about plaiting. Straw plait made by hand in the surrounding countryside was sewn into hats, bonnets and boaters, and the trade grew into the town's main industry. Hat factories and workshops packed the streets, and the Hatters nickname follows from that. The straw trade faded in the 20th century as fashions changed and hats were worn less, but you can still see its mark. The Hat Factory arts venue keeps the memory alive, and Wardown Park's museum tells the story. The pop singer Paul Young, born in Luton, had a hit with a line about where he lays his hat. It is hard to think of a more fitting song for a Lutonian.
The car makers who moved from London
In 1905 Vauxhall Motors left London for Luton, and the town became a centre of motoring. For over a century the factory built cars and then vans, shaping family incomes and the local economy. Generations of Lutonians worked at the plant. That engineering base fed into the town's growth through the 20th century. It also helped draw people from across Britain and the world to work in the town.
A runway, a mansion and a carnival
London Luton Airport opened in 1938 and later became a base for budget airlines. In 2019 it handled about 18 million passengers. A cable-hauled shuttle called the DART now links the terminal to Luton Airport Parkway station. On the other side of town, Luton Hoo is a grand mansion with grounds designed by Capability Brown. The Wernher family, famed for their art collection, made it their home, and the house has featured in films including Four Weddings and a Funeral. Then there is the Luton International Carnival, which started in 1976 and has become one of the largest street carnivals in the country, reflecting a town with Caribbean, South Asian, Irish, Polish and many other communities. Luton's Art Deco town hall, opened in 1936 in Portland stone, replaced an earlier one burned down during the Peace Day riots of July 1919.
What Lutonians eat
Luton's food scene reflects its mix of communities, with South Asian restaurants, grill houses and bakeries a big part of its identity. The county's own contribution is the Bedfordshire clanger, a suet pudding with a savoury filling at one end and fruit or jam at the other. It was designed as a whole meal in one pastry roll for field workers. You will still find it in local bakeries and county food events. The town's best-known sporting son off the football pitch is Monty Panesar, the left-arm spinner born in Luton who played for England.