Culture of Luton. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The history of Luton has more than eight hundred years so many historical attractions of various periods have been preserved in the city. In the city center, you will find a vivid monument of medieval architecture - St Mary's Church. The very first church was built in this place over a thousand years ago, and the construction of the one tourists can see today started back in the 12th century. For local residents, the old church continues to be the main religious monument. Over the long history of its existence, the church has been repeatedly rebuilt and supplemented with new architectural elements. The latest major reconstruction during which a clock was installed on the church tower took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, the temple is striking in its impressive scale. The length of the building is 52 meters and the width is 17 meters. The 27-meter church tower has been one of the tallest structures in Luton since its construction. The ancient church has an interesting architectural feature - when decorating its facade, black and white silicon stones were used to lay out a harmonious mosaic. The temple has also preserved some unique interior elements, as well as a rich collection of ancient icons and sculptures of saints. Now the church is located in one of the picturesque city parks.

The old University of Bedfordshire whose building itself is of great historical value is another well-preserved attraction. A beautiful building with a tiled roof and carved windows resembles a wonderful ancient castle. More than 20,000 students study at the ancient university every year. On certain days, it is open for free visits, so everyone can appreciate the internal architecture of the building, as well as the modern technical equipment of classrooms. It will be especially interesting to visit the university in the warm season, as a beautiful landscaped garden with rare plants, pools, and fountains is formed around it. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Stockwood Discovery is considered to be the main cultural center of Luton. It combines several museums of various profiles, a scientific center, and art galleries. The most unusual collection of the cultural complex is old horse-drawn carriages, the largest collection of its kind in the UK. It presents the best masterpieces of the famous local entrepreneur and designer George Mossman who made horse-drawn vehicles for representatives of the royal family and wealthy industrialists back in the 18th century.

Now the thematic museum houses more than 50 vehicles, some of which are over 200 years old. Here you can see exquisite carriages designed for the royalty, wealthy merchants, and the richest inhabitants of the region. Now the museum exhibits can often be seen in theatrical productions and films, as well as at official events of the royal family.

Tours of interesting ancient castles that have been preserved in the vicinity of the city are also quite popular with tourists. Not far from Luton, in the Hyde area, you can explore Someries Castle. It was built in the 15th century for one of the local lords and became one of the first architectural structures in its style in England. For the last hundred years, the castle has been abandoned, no reconstruction was carried out here, so the historic building has collapsed partially. Nevertheless, even the surviving elements allow to fully appreciate the former grandeur of the fortified manor. Some additional buildings have also been preserved on the castle grounds. During the tour, you can visit an old guardhouse and see a small chapel, the appearance of which has not changed at all over the past centuries.

A unique cultural site is the Wardown Museum located in the park of the same name. It occupies a chic Victorian mansion dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. Its collection is dedicated to the traditional crafts and culture of the region. The museum was opened in the 30s of the last century. Over the years of its operation, it has managed to gather a unique collection of various exhibits within its walls. A significant part of the exposition is devoted to the industrial history of Luton. One of the halls of the historic building houses 600 hats - the best products of local hat factories. Now the museum keeps collections of national costumes, interesting straw handicrafts, artworks, and jewelry. One of the most valuable is considered to be a collection of medieval books, many of which exist in a single copy. A collection of archaeological finds discovered during the city exploration is also available to visitors.