A walk through the Great Exhibition

The length of the walk is 5 km

pilt  Crystal Palace railway station   pilt
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To begin with a more general story:
The Crystal Palace was a gigantic building of steel and sheet glass, built for the 1851 World's Fair. It was located on the southern edge of Hyde Park and had truly stunning dimensions: 564 m long and 39 m high, covering an area of ​​92,000 m2. It was designed by Joseph Paxton. 14,000 exhibitors showed the cutting edge of current science and technology there. After the exhibition the building was dismantled and rebuilt (1854) to the south at a place called Penge Common. Unfortunately, the palace burned down in 1936. The residential area there is still called Crystal Palace. There is also a nice park there now.

To get there you need to take the train (Southern Line) to Crystal Palace station. Of course, you can also get there by bus (for example, buses 56 and 62 from Victoria station). To begin with, you can eat or drink something at the Brown & Green cafe, which is located in the station building. Be sure to also look at the design of the cafe, it is quite unique.
When exiting the station, turn right. Going along the road, you could look back over your left shoulder - you can see a mighty radio mast in the distance. It is the fifth tallest building in London and it was from this that the BBC started in 1956 colour telly programs. You could probably see the "Crystal Palace" from this place, if it wasn't burned down. The building was also praised by one of the most famous architects of the 20th century, Le Corbusier, and some believe that if the building still existed, it would be more famous and popular than the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, yes, it is no more... Walking along the edge of the park, we reach Crystal Palace Park Farm. There are many such mini zoos in London. Mainly intended for children. They were established in the mid-20th century when some researchers were dismayed to discover that most London schoolchildren thought a cow was an animal about the size of a dog. :-) Big city problems, this is how they try to bring nature closer to children.
Further on, the road turns slightly to the left, and there we see animals that even country children have never seen alive. On one of the islets on the right, there are a number of dinosaur statues. In fact, these nearly 30 figures are quite unrealistic from the point of view of modern science, but they were made in times, when the existence of such animals had just been discovered. But with English conservatism, these statues are preserved just as they were created.
Moving on, we pass the Memorial Bell. It commemorates the sailors who died in World War II. Next, we detour to an object that should provide fun for both young and old. This is the Maze, a maze made of hedge bushes. One of the largest in England (1,600 square meters), but not so big as to get hopelessly lost there. It is also called Tea Maze because people love to go there just after evening tea. Created in 1870.
Next, we move to the place where the Crystal Palace once stood. The former location of the building can be guessed by the relief of the ground. The only surviving building elements are the arches called Italian Terraces. Later, large stairs were built for easier movement. From there we can go to the CP museum. Quite a simple museum, but it provides information about the once gigantic building. Going further, we can visit the cafe St Germain. On the way, we can stop by the shop Crystal Palace Antiques & Modern. Furniture is sold there. Of course, you're probably not going to buy a chest of drawers on a tourist trip :-) , but when you walk through the rooms, you can get a good overview of the home furnishings of ancient times. It would be like a kind of free museum.
On the way, we came across small markets. There is Haynes Lane Market, Farmers' Market and Food Market. Passing through Westow Street, you will see so many interesting things. For example, the ultra-modern church of the Salvation Army, and to balance it, the orthodox church in an archaic style. There is also a good book store Bookseller Crow On The Hill along the street.