Luton

Luton is a large town in Bedfordshire, England. It is about 30 miles (48 km) north of London. It is on the M1 motorway and has mainline trains from King's Cross and St Pancras stations. It is an industrial town which has diversified from its original base as a manufacturer of hats and cars. It is also famous for its airport which serves flights across Europe. Its fine communications means it has many people who commute to work in London. It has a population of 213,052 (mid-2019 estimate).^[1]

History

Luton was started in about the 6th century by the Saxons, based by the River Lea.^[2] It has a history of industry: making hats and Vauxhall cars for example.

Politics

Luton is a unitary authority, which means it is governed locally by its own council, Luton Borough Council.^[3] It is represented by two members of parliament.

Sport

Its football club is in the English football league and play at Kenilworth Road.^[4] Their nickname is 'The Hatters'. They are called this because of Luton's history of making straw hats.

People

Luton town has a large immigrant population, which consists mainly of people of Pakistani and Bengali origin.^[5]

Luton Media

St Mary's Church, Luton town centre
The Wenlock chapel within St Mary's
A row of largely Grade II listed buildings in George Street, Luton
The first town hall was destroyed in 1919
A pedestrian suspension bridge spans the River Lea in Wardown Park.
Snow accumulation over the Chiltern Hills during October 2008 snowfall, Luton is denoted by the yellow dot.
The Methodist Chapel in High Town (built 1897)
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh Temple
Luton: Jamia Masjid Ghousia Mosque. The mosque in Westbourne Road viewed between the houses on Leagrave Road.
Griffin House, former headquarters of Vauxhall Motors