Sitting in the north-west of Luton, Hockwell Ring is a post-war suburban estate in Bedfordshire, roughly bounded by Brickly Road to the north, High Street and Torquay Drive to the south, the M1 motorway to the west, and Vincent Road to the east. The estate connects reasonably well to the rest of Luton and ties into older 1930s residential developments in the surrounding area.
The Estate and Its Tower Blocks
Hockwell Ring was built in the 1950s and 1960s as part of Luton’s post-war expansion, at around the same time as the nearby Marsh Farm estate. Four large tower blocks dominate the area, each standing 14 storeys high and reaching 44.20 metres. Built between 1965 and 1966, the towers are typical of British high-rise construction of the period and are visible from the southbound carriageway of the M1 just before Junction 11. Together with towers in Marsh Farm and Park Town, they rank among the tallest buildings in both the town and the county. The tower blocks are currently undergoing exterior refurbishment. At the centre of the estate there is a small shopping centre, a park, and local facilities including a doctor’s surgery and a dentist.
Change Over Time
Like many British council estates of the 1960s, Hockwell Ring was conceived as a forward-looking housing solution, but by the 1990s house prices had fallen sharply and the area had developed a poor reputation. More recently, that picture has shifted. Proximity to Leagrave train station has attracted London commuters to the area, pushing house prices back up and bringing general improvements to the estate. Hockwell Ring falls within the Leagrave ward, represented by three Labour councillors, and forms part of the Luton North parliamentary constituency, with Labour MP Sarah Owen. Local residents are served by Leagrave Library on Marsh Road, and schools in the area include Beechwood Primary School, Pirton Hill Primary School, and Chalk Hills Academy. Two weekly newspapers, the Herald and Post and the Luton News, cover the area.