Luton Straw Hats

Hats were made for sale locally and in Dunstable and St Albans where trade was brisk. Dunstable had been concerned with straw work for a long time, making not only plait and hats but also other objects. Luton too was a major supplier of straw work and had a number of straw warehouses. Much of the raw material was locally grown with the chalky Chiltern fields growing the best straw and fields earmarked for plaiting were carefully cut by hand.