is an area in south
London ,
England within the postcode
London SE19 , named after
The Crystal Palace , relocated to
Upper Norwood in
1854 . It is a residential district that straddles the border between the boroughs of
Croydon and
Lambeth ,
Bromley and
Southwark and is situated along the
London Clay ridge known as Beulah Hill. Housing dates from the 19th and 20th centuries, with large detached properties on the top of the ridge and smaller semi-detached and terraced dwelling on its flanks. The hill offers panoramic views northward to central London and southward to Croydon and the North Downs.
The area is one of the highest in the London area and for centuries was occupied by the
Great North Wood , an extensive area of natural oak forest that formed a wilderness close to the southern edge of the ever-expanding city of London. Local legend has it that
Sir Francis Drake's ship, the ''
Golden Hind '', had its timbers cut from trees in this area. The forest was a popular area for Londoners' recreation right up to the
19th Century , when it began to be built over. It was also a haunt of
Gypsies , with many local street names and pubs recording the link. The area still retains large amounts of woodland for an urban situation.
Crystal Palace is accessible by rail via
Crystal Palace Railway Station , where trains run to and from
Victoria and
London Bridge railway stations. The area is also well served by
Bus routes. The disconnection from the capital's
Tube Network has led to it having lower house prices than other areas possessing scenic views of London. There are plans for Crystal Palace to have
Tramlink services from
Beckenham in future and the southern extension of the
East London Line is planned to bring further rail services.
The Crystal Palace was reconstructed here in
1852 -
1854 following its success at the great exhibition in
Hyde Park . It was destroyed in a spectacular fire in
1936 .
A long-fought-over local issue is whether to build on the site of the original palace building or leave it as an open space.
The extensive grounds were used in pre-war days for motorcycle and, since the
1950s , for motorcar racing; this was known as the
Crystal Palace Circuit . Parts of the track layout remain in 2005 as access roads. The track itself fell into disuse after
1972 , although it has been digitally recreated in the
Grand Prix Legends racing simulation.
The grounds now house the
National Sports Centre and remain a major public park.
Two giant
TV Transmitter towers -
Crystal Palace Transmitter and
Croydon Transmitter - stand on the hill at Upper Norwood, making the district a landmark location, visible from many parts of the London area. The towers are similar in height and design, but the Crystal Palace mast stands on a slightly higher elevation.
poses on a statue in Crystal Palace Park]]
- Alan R. Warwick ''The Phoenix Suburb: A South London Social History; Publisher: Crystal Palace Foundation''; ISBN 0-904034-01-1
