Down Our Way: Luton Hoo

Luton Hoo, nestling in a magnificent walled estate just a few miles from our office,
is one of Britain’s greatest treasure houses.

The palatial mansion, now a private hotel, was built in 1767 by the prominent architect, Robert Adam for the third Earl Of Bute.

Occupying over 1000 acres, its extensive parklands were laid out by the famous landscape gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

The diamond magnate, Sir Julius Wernher bought the house in 1903 and filled it with a sumptuous array of object d’art, paintings, jewellery and porcelain, to include his famous collection of Fabergé eggs.

Today, the hotel’s elegant restaurant is named after the mansion’s renowned and glamorous former owner and was awarded two AA Rosettes within a very short time of its opening.

Luton Hoo has featured in a number of famous films including Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Shot in the Dark, Eyes Wide Shut and The World Is Not Enough.

Operating now as a luxury hotel, Luton Hoo Hotel Golf and Spa has undergone a lavish refurbishment programme to restore the house to its former glory.

Photo: Stan Thompson