​Hats off! Grant brings Wardown Park Museum £200k away from conservation

WARDOWN Park Museum has been given a £1.8m grant which will go towards its redevelopment.

The grant, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, brings the museum £200,000 away from its £3.5m project target.

Wardown was originally designed in 1872 as a private residence for Frank Scargill, a local solicitor, and the house was bought by two local councillors in 1903, who opened up the grounds as a public park.

The house was used as a military hospital during WW1 before becoming a museum in 1931. The renovation will see new areas of the building opened up and new attractions created.

A new café will be opened and the Morning Room will become a new art gallery as well as a venue for weddings and exhibitions.

Karen Perkins from Luton Culture, said: “It is fantastic to receive the grant and have the backing of Heritage Lottery Fund for the proposed redevelopment plans for Wardown Park Museum.”

Luton South MP Gavin Shuker said: “This is a building that is very close to my heart as my great-grandmother was in service to the family that once lived in the mansion and my grandmother was born in the house.

“I hope this project will result in a museum that will create a fascinating attraction for people of all ages and cultures across the town.”