Crystal Palace Dinosaurs

The Meek Family

The Crystal Palace Caravan Club site is not only a great site to visit the city of London but is also nestled into the corner of the Crystal Palace park. During our stay at here, if we weren't catching a train into the city centre. we often wandered into the park for a walk or run. 

 

It's hard to imagine a large, glassed building standing in the centre of the park grounds, surrounded by beautiful, landscaped gardens. A photograph of what was once an impressive building is on the wall in the reception of the caravan site; the size and grandeur of it is spectacular - it is a shame it isn't still there. The remains of archways and stairways provide a glimpse into the Victorian history linked so strongly with this part of London.

 

Crystal Palace was the first ever theme park dating back to the Victorian times. It was here that an exhibition dedicated to dinosaurs was first displayed. The dinosaurs were created based on a few fossils that had been found and are largely inaccurate but it is an amazing attempt. The large, clay models still sit in a corner of the park. How do we know all this? Well it's from an audio tour describing the history of the theme park which can be downloaded and listened to whilst walking around. The audio tour explains how biologist and palaeontologist Richard Owen worked with artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkings and business man Joseph Paxton to create the theme park and gives some insight into how the dinosaurs were created for the Great Exhibition that was visited by millions in its heyday, including Charles Darwin. We like to mix education with adventure so combined a family jog with an educational dose of history using the audio tour; it is an entertaining and informative way to learn about a bit of history that sits on your doorstep whilst staying in Crystal Palace. We certainly enjoyed hearing it and learnt lots but seemed to be the only ones making the most of this resource.

 

It just shows you don't need to travel far to find things to do. Crystal Palace is ideal for visiting London but the site sits in the corner of the park and it has so much to do from morning jogs, cycle rides, playing on the playground, visiting the sports ground and, of course, the dinosaurs trail.