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The PD recently visited CP.. That's me.. I got lost.. and that's the best part of it all! Scary Dragons! Freaky Deep Ponds! Lovely staff.. I was pulled from the swamps of the Crystal Palace ponds after taking a wrong step.. Wandering through the expansive parks, brutalist architecture, ancient trees, and a great park.. but back to the pond. More fool me for trying to go on a boat.. didn't know you had to pay.. I guess I paid in soaking.. heh.. 10/10 PD…
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Date of experience: September 2020
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Fantastic park, much busier in recent months due to Covid. Be aware that any food and drink facilities here are always rammed at peak times during the weekend. The new cafe lets the park down, it seems to have been designed in a way that it can never cope with demand (even in regular weekend days outside of Covid lockdown, the queues can be large). So recommend taking your own snacks and a thermos.…
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Date of experience: November 2020
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+1
There’s pleasure for everyone in this vast 200 acre park in South London. It goes back to Victorian times when the huge exhibition building that was created for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851 was moved (and expanded) to Crystal Palace to be the centre piece of a new ‘pleasure ground’. The vision was that it would surpass the splendours of Versailles. I’m not sure whether it did that or not, as the vast glass palace is no longer there. The huge glass and iron ‘Crystal Palace’ burnt down in 1936, and only the concrete staircases, Italian terraces and the curious Sphinxes remain. Parts of the park are quite attractive; some parts are quite ugly, and parts are quite unkempt. The space is blighted by unattractive car parks, and the equally unattractive National Sports Centre and its concrete walkways, though of course they provide necessary facilities to the local and wider community. There are plenty of things to do for visitors, and it warrants a visit, even if you are going to sit under the shady trees or have a picnic on the gentle grassy slopes. Most visitors to the park (especially the children) will head to the Lower Pond to see the curious collection of sculptures of full-size dinosaurs and other extinct mammals around the pond. There’s around 30 of them. They’ve been there for over 150 years. They were created by Benjamin Waterhouse and unveiled in 1854 as a part of the new Victorian pleasure ground being established. They have been restored a couple of times, though just prior to my visit a huge chunk had fallen off one of the sculptures. They are certainly worth seeing. As you wander through the park you can’t miss the remains of the great Exhibition Hall, the enormous ‘Crystal Palace’ which once occupied the park. It was designed by architect Sir Joseph Paxton. You can just imagine the sight it must have been from the bits that remain. You’ll see the huge staircases, the lovely old Italian terraces, some decaying statues (they need to be restored), huge vases and urns, and the remains of tazzas. The remains are Grade II heritage listed now. This is my favourite part of the park. And of course you can’t miss those orange Sphinxes. There were 12 of them originally; only 6 remain. They were restored a few years ago and repainted in the colour they originally were. There’s also a little museum on the edge of the park, not far from the Crystal Palace Parade entrance to the park. It’s open on the weekends, from 11:00 - 15:00. There’s lots of walking paths, a concert bowl, some pleasant manicured garden areas, and expanses of grass for football and cricket. There’s also a small urban farm with a collection of animals, and a traditional maze, though they were closed when I visited due to the current pandemic. There’s also a cafe for drinks and snacks. The park opens at 07:30 daily. Car parking is free, but the park is popular and spaces fill quickly. You’ll need a couple of hours to see it all at a leisurely pace. Much of the park is fully accessible to those using mobility assistance, though there are some stairs, and some paths are gravel, and also steep. The park is located in the neighbourhood of Crystal Palace in South London. It’s about 7 miles from central London, and can be reached by the London Overground, or direct trains from London Bridge. It’s in Zone 4 of London’s transport network.…
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Date of experience: August 2020
51 Helpful votes3 Reposts
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This is such a gem to be found in South East London. It is very popular with dog walkers and families. This is my second visit and l enjoyed walking through acres of parkland, viewing the Dinosaur Park and strolling along the terrace. There was even Food market going on, which was being regulated as to how many people could attend, as it was a small area. I would thoroughly recommend it, particularly as car parking is free.…
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Date of experience: October 2020
Helpful
+1
This park is one of the major park, green land for the south-east London suburb which attract hundreds of people everyday to come to the park to enjoy different facilities and outdoor space.
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Date of experience: July 2020
1 Helpful vote
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