The Crystal Palace & The Park (Part 1)

Welcome to the Member Ideas area! This community feature is where our members can post their own ideas. These posts are unedited and not necessarily endorsed by the National Gardening Association.
Posted by @NEILMUIR1 on
The Crystal Palace was a massive iron and glass structure built for the Great Exhibition in 1851, originally it was in Hyde Park, a Royal Park, in London. Prince Albert came up with the idea of showing the world Britain's industrial revolution. It was designed by the famous Sir Joseph Paxton; in 1851 when the Exhibition closed, he came up with the idea of moving this colossal building to Penge Place Estate in southeast London. Punch magazine in a satirical moment called it the "Crystal Palace" and the name stuck, so this part of Sydneham became known as Crystal Palace. This exhibits were in fact from all over the world; the USA, Egypt, France & Germany to name but a few. The displays were set into categories; raw materials, machinery, manufacturers and fine arts. It was too big to be financially viable and on a fateful night in 1936 disaster struck.

This amazing glass building was huge at some 1,848 feet long and 480 feet wide. Made from iron & glass it towered into the sky with its massive towers at each end in a 200 acre Park. It must have been a sight to see as it sat on one of the highest points in London. How they ever moved this over the River Thames in the 1850's is beyond me, but they did and reconstructed it. It is also famous for having the world's first public flush toilets; these were for men only, it took another ten years to accept that women should have them as well. A pneumatic railway was built, the first the world had ever seen. Amazingly it was only 30 years before this that Dinosaurs were first discovered. So when this huge park was being built it was decided to include education as a topic. The Dinosaurs the Victorians built are what they thought they may look like, and are still there, as you will see. This Aerial picture was taken in 1934.

2010-08-21/NEILMUIR1/8b5420

Here is the first bit as you enter through the Crystal Palace Parade.

To enlarge any photo please click on it.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/196b88                               2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/0efbb8

The Victorians were really into carpet bedding. With all the new plants coming in from all over the world and inexpensive glass for greenhouses, they could grow them, and show them off en mass.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/78b04c                               2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/ef0efe

Even to this day most places in the UK, especially the public parks, still use bedding.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/e4ef42                                2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/3f0e60

This bedding scheme is huge. I do not agree with doing it with stone as it should be done on grass, the green foil of the grass sets the plants of perfectly.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/7a3e02                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/3dffa7

To the side and in the centre is another Victorian favourite Magnolia grandiflora.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/7b3b11                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/a95d1d

Apart from the surface the Victorian plants are superb, if a bit young. This is due to a lot of money being spent on a recent refurbishment. I love to see an Acer and Monkey puzzle trees or Arucaria arucana. The Victorians loved these and they are all over the Park and everywhere in the surrounding area.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/da6689                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/93e9ac

Some more of this area.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/ce6363                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/006efe

The trees throughout the Park are stunning, having been planted when the park was being built and some a lot earlier.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/b06968                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/f5bb77

The staff has put up signs that direct you on a very short walk of half a mile, a stroll of one and a half miles or a brisker walk of three miles. But you will not see the entire park on a three-mile walk. These avenues are amazing to me, probably because I love trees.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/afcb36                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/eaaeac

Looking down on some of the remains of the Palace and a memorial constructed with one of the small iron girders left after the disaster! The whole area was designed in tiers, with the memorial at the top and then going down through each tier.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/065a52                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/d1f5dd

This was not the top bit of the Crystal Palace just one of the entrance and walkways that hosted 2 million people a year. It is just to give you some idea of the size both ways. It is however the original site of the Palace.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/75bd1c                             2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/4bce52

There are quite a lot of these Sphinxs on the steps, some are looked after and some are not!

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/a375d7                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/dbc488

Left to rot but the ones the public can see do get cleaned. This is not the way to look after a Historic site.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/622214                             2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/fb5f22

Behind the picture on the left you can just about see the steps and the upper walkway. That is how big this place was and there is more including wonderful architecture.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/4767b7                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/36c9b5

A Buddleia growing on the top of one of the walls and a bit of the side of this awesome place.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/66d339                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/577174

A breathtaking clump of Cedars and then a look a bit lower!

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/5d605e                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/849abe

A lovely oak in the distance, then what the Victorians called the Umbrella tree, a weeping Ash or Fraxinus excelsior ' pendula' set against a Cedar. What a true delight!

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/3ccd88                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/9abf92

Here is a closer look at this beauty and a willow with some more of the old buildings in the background.

2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/a6aa1e                              2010-08-19/NEILMUIR1/6a0e1d

Now for some Dinosaurs in the Victorian Dinosaur lake. This is what the Victorians assumed Dinosaurs looked like. Someone needs some help looking after the tree ferns as most of them do not look well. The tree fern stumps are the brown things with no leaves at all.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/9baa8e                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/f664b3

Like everything in this place, these are huge.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/8470fe                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/796133

The Crystal Palace was also famous for being the world's first theme park and had a rollercoaster as well as the weird Dinosaurs.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/663234                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/99b352

Amazing, a tree fern that is alive!

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/08de6e                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/5998a4

 Another live tree fern, not big or very well, though.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/4eb8f2                               2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/713742

To the side of the Dinosaur lake is what they call the tidal lake. This is the stunning entrance. It is full of Willows, Dawn Redwoods, Sequioas, cedars and many more. This is a dream for me.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/be7641                               2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/a8f66c

The smaller dark tree is an old monkey puzzle completely choked with Hedra helix or English ivy. A small bridge leading to a great surprise.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/9495d5                               2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/a8d974

Then you come on this, I had to stop and have a look.

  2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/39ccd3                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/cfd7a8

For once I was speechless! The sheer size, not more than 8 miles from Central London, is totally awe inspiring, and the duck on the left did not have much to say either.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/179ec1                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/dc7c61

Another baby monkey puzzle tree. In a place this size and with its history I was wondering where the Blue Cedars were, I did not have to wait long.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/4e9189                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/2bcec5

You really are spoilt for choice in here.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/ae030b                             2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/3b9e8c

Moving on, a rather unusual planting of trees. A Sequioa to the left then a purple Beech to the right, but in the middle, one tree that has made my walk even better, a weeping Hornbeam or Carpinus betulus 'Pendula', how fantastic is that? More Willows on a bank.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/3eb9df                               2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/c3b6b3

I love playing conkers, the conker nut is in the middle. They are  also called Horse Chestnuts or Aesculus hippocastanum. You get the nut out of the prickly shell and put a hole through the middle, then put a bit of string through the hole with a knot in the end to hold your conker.  You bash someone else's conker and they bash yours till the one that is left intact is the winner! Look at that gorgeous Cedar against the sky, the sky did not stay like that for long!

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/4c3bd9                              2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/200539

I will leave you for the moment with some Mallards playing with some rather large Mirror Carp.

2010-08-20/NEILMUIR1/e78de0

Thank you for being with me on my little wander around some of this amazing place. I hope you will join me for more in the next article, where you can find out what happened to the Crystal Palace.

It also has a children's Railway, a Park Farm and a cafe. If you wish to walk around and have a picnic you can do that anywhere you so wish, and it is FREE!

It is strange that this park also holds our National Sports Centre, yet recently it was under threat as people wanted to build on it. After the Olympics with the new facilities being built there, they may get their wish and destroy this magical place. A long-fought-over local issue is whether to build on the open space which was the location of the original Crystal Palace building or to leave it as parkland as the GLC had done. Any development would be within the London Borough of Bromley, but would affect residents in neighbouring boroughs and the access to the sports centre. It would also affect the skyline view across the whole of London.

All pictures are my own apart from the the Aerial 1934 Picture. This is a common copyright expired picture due to the 70 year old rule.

Links, I will put some more on in Part 2.

Part 2.

Crystal Palace Park Farm!

Crystal Palace BBC Panoramics.

The Great Exhibition and the Palace.

Map.

Regards.

Neil.

 

For Nancy.

 
Comments and Discussion
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Love it! by Petalpants Sep 6, 2010 7:42 AM 6
'Chrystal palace' by irisarian Sep 4, 2010 9:54 PM 15
So many perils by Ridesredmule Aug 22, 2010 11:05 PM 5
How wonderful by Happy_1 Aug 21, 2010 9:29 PM 8
My footsteps are right there by Dutchlady1 Aug 21, 2010 12:28 PM 1
Home town by pajonica Aug 21, 2010 12:25 PM 1

Explore More:

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )

Today's site banner is by Zoia and is called "Volunteer"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.