Crystal Palace to the Horniman Museum

On a sunny Saturday 25th January, just after storm Eowyn, 11 of us met at Whitechapel Station to catch the newly named Windrush Line (old Overground) to Crystal Palace Station.

Photo by MadeleineOne member was delayed due to engineering works on the Elizabeth Line and then bus delays so caught up with us at the dinosaurs.

Leaving Crystal Palace Station we turned right and headed straight down to the dinosaur lakes. We did a full tour of the lake seeing a robin, cormorant and grey heron on the eastern side and all the dinosaurs on the western side. These were stone replicas installed in 1854, the Palace itself having been relocated from Hyde Park where it had formed part of the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Photo by Madeleine

We then back-tracked towards the café, nearly losing two members of the group who were too engrossed in the wildlife on the lake, and then headed for the Fisherman’s Lake and exit where we crossed the road and headed round Charleville Circus. As we said goodbye to the Circus we headed straight across the road and down to Sydenham Wells Park. Exiting the park we crossed over to then ascend through a housing estate to Sydenham Hill. One member opted to get the bus and go straight to Forest Hill Station, for the rest it was a stroll along the road, alongside a wood to the Horniman Museum with fine views across London when we reached the junction with Kirkdale.

Once at the museum another member joined us and we partook of sustenance at the café – which was very busy and made us wish we’d maybe gone mid-week. I then felt it easiest if we just split and went our separate ways to go round the Museum at our own pace then head to Forest Hill Station and home. The length of the walk was 2.5 miles.

  Richard.   31st January 2025

Photo by Richard

Photo by Richard

Photo by Madeleine