Wardown Park Museum facts for kids
Wardown Park Museum
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| Established | 1931 |
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| Location | Wardown Park, Old Bedford Road, Luton, England |
| Type | Crafts of Bedfordshire |
Wardown House Museum and Gallery is a cool place to visit in Luton, England. It's inside a big, old house from the Victorian era. This house is located in Wardown Park, just outside the town center. The museum shows off amazing crafts from Bedfordshire. You can see old lace-making and hat-making items. Some lace pieces are even from the 1600s!
Contents
The Museum's History
The first house on this spot was called Bramingham Shott. It was built by Robert How. Later, in the 1870s, a lawyer named Frank Chapman-Scargill took over. He rebuilt most of the house in 1879. This cost a lot of money back then!
In 1893, Scargill left Luton. A man named Benjamin John Harfield Forder bought the house. He renamed it Wardown. This name came from a hill near his family home.
Wardown Park is Created
In 1903, Forder and his partners decided to sell the house and its land. The area was about 11 acres. Luton Council bought the property in 1904.
Over the next few years, the council made many improvements. They planted new trees and built new paths and bridges. The park looks very similar today to how it did back then. A bowling green was added in 1905.
Wardown House During Wartime
During the First World War, Wardown House became a hospital. It helped soldiers who were hurt. Different groups, like the Royal Army Medical Corps, ran the hospital. The Luton Museum moved into the house in 1931.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has a huge collection of hats. There are about 700 hats and other headwear! You can also visit the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment gallery. This part of the museum tells the story of a local army regiment. It was put together by the Imperial War Museum.
Luton Life Displays
In 2003, the museum opened new displays called "Luton Life." These exhibits explore the stories of people from Luton. They show what life was like over the last 150 years. The Heritage Lottery Fund helped pay for these cool displays.
Ancient History and Nature
On the ground floor, you'll find the "Living Landscape" gallery. This area shows local archaeology and natural history. You can see amazing things like the Shillington Hoard, which is a collection of Roman coins. There's also an Iron Age mirror!
The Famous Wenlock Jug
The Wenlock Jug is a very special item at the museum. It's a rare bronze jug from the 1400s. It helps us learn about how people worked with bronze a long time ago.
Saving the Jug
This jug was almost sold to a museum in New York for a lot of money. But in 2005, a culture minister stopped the sale. He wanted the jug to stay in England. So, Luton Museums Service bought it instead! They spent 300 times their usual budget to keep it.
The Jug's Adventure
On May 14, 2012, the jug was stolen from another museum in Luton. But don't worry, it was found! On September 24, 2012, it was recovered in a garage. Now it's safe and sound back at the museum for everyone to see.
