Crystal Palace is one of London’s most historic and architecturally significant areas named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building first installed on site in 1854. Although the building no longer stands, its history is not forgotten, and its legacy of design innovation and discovery can be seen in the surrounding creative communities.
Despite having no defined boundaries, Crystal Palace still holds a clear resonance in all Londoners’ minds. Today, it is a patchwork of several distinct neighbourhoods – Penge, Anerley and Upper Norwood – spanning five boroughs, that come together to form one of London’s most exciting areas and a Destination for LFA2023. Its kaleidoscope identity reflects just how London itself operates best; when people and place come together, recognising their common ground and differences to build sustainable, inclusive communities.
At the heart of the area sits Bromley’s largest greenspace, Crystal Palace Park, a common space that is shared by multiple groups, and connects to vibrant highstreets and town centres like Penge. The Festival will focus on highlighting the abundance of greenspace while creating a route for people to explore further outside the Park and into the highstreets, discovering the creative communities, new projects and local histories which continue to define the area.
Download a digital version of the Penge and Palace trail using this link.
To pick up a physical map, head to one of our trail hubs: Paxton Centre, Penge Library, Bridge House Pub, CPP Information Centre, Bluebell Cafe.
