Plaiters' Lea Conservation Area, Luton: Historic Area Assessment
Author(s): Katie Graham, David Grech, David McOmish
The Plaiters’ Lea Conservation Area lies on the northern fringes of the commercial district in central Luton, Bedfordshire. It is sandwiched between the railway station to the north and the Arndale on the south and was, historically, predominantly associated with straw and felt hat making. Although the integrity of the Conservation Area has been compromised by more recent development, the majority of the surviving buildings are (or were) related to the production, storage, sale and distribution of hats as well as related trades such as dyeing and bleaching, ribbon making, box making or transport. Many are now being used as business premises unrelated to hat making, others have been converted for domestic use, but the area retains the character of an artisanal quarter in much the same way as the Birmingham Jewellery quarter or the Northampton Boot and Shoe quarter. Geographically, the Conservation Area covers a small area, just under 4.5 hectares, with a hub at the crossroad intersection between Guildford Street and Bute Street - each route hosting former hat factories and showrooms, many embellished with impressive façades. This historic area assessment seeks to define the architectural and historic value and significance of the Conservation Area and its immediate hinterland in order to place it at the heart of current regeneration proposals for the town centre. The project has been logged as RaSMIS number 6085 and fits SHAPE criteria as sub-programme number 11111.150 Understanding Place: Assessing Historic Areas.
- Report Number:
- 69/2011
- Series:
- Research Department Reports
- Pages:
- 308
- Keywords:
- Modern
