Crystal Palace Park & the dinosaurs
Thirty Victorian sculptures of prehistoric animals, and a ruined palace on a hill. Walked and written by the editor.

1. Crystal Palace station
Start inside the park, not on the road. Cross the tracks via the pedestrian bridge; it saves a very ugly ten minutes by the bus lane.

2. Italian Terraces
The ghost of the 1854 Crystal Palace itself. Broken balustrades, stone sphinxes, the outline of the glass building that once stood here.

3. Concert Bowl
A brutalist 1961 bandstand that is gently being reclaimed by the trees. Worth a slow lap; the acoustics are odd and wonderful.

4. Dinosaur Court
Thirty Victorian sculptures of prehistoric animals, scientifically wrong in the best possible way. Lit from behind in late afternoon they are genuinely uncanny.

5. Crystal Palace transmitter base
The 219-metre transmitter tower at the park's western edge. You're never going to climb it, but you can stand under it and it's a dizzying experience.

Crystal Palace Park & the dinosaurs