Crystal Palace park and village, 4 miles

• We will meet outside the Crystal Palace rail station (National Rail and Overground) and make our way to Crystal Palace park

• After the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, Joseph Paxton appealed for the retention of The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, but the government decreed that the Palace be removed. Paxton formed the Crystal Palace Company to purchase the Hyde Park Crystal Palace for £70,000, The rebuilt Crystal Palace was opened by Queen Victoria in June 1854.

• We will make a start to see the Farm, which is an educational facility run by the Capel Manor College.

• We will then carry on to see the dinosaur island. The sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was commissioned to make 33 lifesized models, completed in 1854, of the (then) newly discovered dinosaurs and other extinct animals in the park.

• We will then proceed to see the Intermediate Lake, the Maze and the Italian Steps.

• We will then carry on to see the village, which has managed to maintain its small-town integrity, staving off forays from coffee and supermarket chains, and championing its many independents.

• We will finish our walk at the Crystal Palace rail station.Optional drinks/lunch at the local pub after the walk.

What to bring:
Comfortable footwear
Water
Photo-taking gadgets and chargers
An umbrella just in case (it's London after all)

The walk is free for members who have subscribed for an annual membership. For other members the fee is £5 cash/card on arrival to contribute towards the organiser's meetup fees and costs.

The annual pass option is £15 payable by cash/card on the day. This will provide access to at least 40 walks per year (members are welcome to bring a guest to each event).

All walks are free for the NHS staff (also welcome to bring a guest).

'No Show' Policy: If the member replied 'yes' but did not attend the event, did not update the RSVP and did not inform the organisers on 3 occasions – this triggers an automatic removal from the group. That's once for events with a waiting list.