Crystal Palace Park in Autumn
Sketch by Lis Watkins
Let's draw London in 2023 - Find our full programme here
Sketch by Lis Watkins
Join us on either of the dates above to sketch in Crystal Palace Park. Built in 1852 by Sir Joseph Paxton, the park is situated in South East London and home to the famous Crystal Palace Dinosaurs.
The dinosaurs were commissioned in 1852 to accompany the Crystal Palace after its move from the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, and they were designed and sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. By modern standards, the sculptures are completely inaccurate, having been based on the scientific knowledge of the time, but they are fascinating to look at and even more fun to draw. They were the first ever life-sized models of extinct animals to be sculpted, and after extensive restoration they were upgraded to Grade I listed in 2007.
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Dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park Sketch by Sarah Minty |
The dinosaurs are found on the ‘Penge side’ of the park, next to the lake, but the park and its surroundings have lots of other points of interest too which we have listed below.
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On the banks of Crystal Palace Lake Sketch by Sarah Minty |
The sketchwalk on 17 June will be run by Sarah Minty, and Lis Watkins
will run the session on 2 July.
If this is your first sketchwalk with us, welcome to Urban
Sketchers London!
Every sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, a
gathering place in the middle and another one at the end, when we
‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group
photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help
you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch.
Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalks. We all draw
what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end.
We look forward to seeing you!
Meeting point
We will meet at the Brown and Green Life Cafe which is near the Penge Gate entrance to the park on Thicket Road (scroll down to see the location map). The nearest station is Penge West, which is a seven-minute walk away and connects to the London Overground. Penge East station is a 14 minute walk, with trains running from London Victoria. Crystal Palace Station is a 11 minute walk and has trains to London Victoria and London Bridge, as well as the London Overground.
Options for drawing
- Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and lake, with the added option to sketch people in pedallos (if the boat house is open). Keep your eyes peeled for other animal sculptures amongst the trees too, including a giant sloth.
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Some of the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park Photo by Sarah Minty |
- Crystal Palace Park city farm which is open from 12pm to 3:30pm and free to the public.
- Crystal Palace Bowl an outdoor stage, also known locally as the ‘rusty laptop’, where the likes of Pink Floyd and Bob Marley have performed.
- The remains of the old Crystal Palace which was destroyed by a fire in 1936. There is not much left of it now, but there are some statues and sphinxes that remain.
- Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which includes an outdoor athletics stadium and volleyball courts, if drawing people in action is your thing.
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Crystal Palace sunbathers Sketch by Sarah Minty |
The surrounding streets of Penge have some beautiful villas, and there are
the Victorian Royal Watermen’s Almhouses on the High Street.
Crystal Palace also has a number of cafes and buildings that would be interesting to draw on ‘The Triangle’, if you can manage the walk up the hill, and some of the streets offer a glimpse of the city beyond.
1pm
Meet back at the Brown and Green Life Cafe for the lunchtime throwdown and group photo by the gorilla statue (see the photo below). The cafe is a great place for lunch, and there are also some options in Penge or on Anerley Hill which leads up to Crystal Palace.
If it is raining, there is an undercover bit to the side of the cafe which will give some shelter.
There are loos in the park next to the Visitors Centre near the lake and dinosaurs.
The 176 bus from central London will take you all the way to Penge, get off at the Thicket Road stop.
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Royal Watermen's Almshouses Sketch by Lis Watkins |
Crystal Palace also has a number of cafes and buildings that would be interesting to draw on ‘The Triangle’, if you can manage the walk up the hill, and some of the streets offer a glimpse of the city beyond.
Key times and meeting points
11am
We will meet at the Brown and Green Life Cafe near the Penge Gate entrance to the park on Thicket Road (see the location map below). The nearest station is Penge West, which is a 7 minute walk away and connects to the London Overground. Penge East station is a 14 minute walk, with trains running from London Victoria. Crystal Palace Station is a 11 minute walk through the park and is connected to London Victoria, London Bridge and the London Overground.1pm
Meet back at the Brown and Green Life Cafe for the lunchtime throwdown and group photo by the gorilla statue (see the photo below). The cafe is a great place for lunch, and there are also some options in Penge or on Anerley Hill which leads up to Crystal Palace.
If it is raining, there is an undercover bit to the side of the cafe which will give some shelter.
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| Brown and Green Life Cafe |
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We will gather at the gorilla statue for our throwdowns at 1pm and 3.30 pm |
3:30pm
Meet at the same place for the afternoon throwdown and group photo to finish the day.Afterwards
We suggest the
Bridge House pub for a
drink afterwards.
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Bridge House pub Sketch by Lis Watkins |
Practical information
Food and drink and conveniences
The cafe in the park offers a selection of food and drink. There are also options on Penge High Street (10 minutes walk), on Anerley Hill leading up to Crystal Palace, or in Crystal Palace itself.There are loos in the park next to the Visitors Centre near the lake and dinosaurs.
Public transport
The nearest station to the meet up point is Penge West, which is a 7 minute walk away and connects to the London Overground. Penge East station is a 14 minute walk with trains running from London Victoria. Crystal Palace Station is an 11 minute walk through the park and is connected to London Victoria, London Bridge and the London Overground.The 176 bus from central London will take you all the way to Penge, get off at the Thicket Road stop.
Accessibility
The Brown and Green Life Cafe has an accessible toilet and all the locations are wheelchair-accessible. Let us know if you need any support on the day.Covid guidance
Urban Sketchers London remains alert to national guidance about COVID-19 and its variants. Even though restrictions have been lifted, it's sensible to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but basic guidance still applies:- Please do not attend if you feel unwell
- Wear a face covering when you're close to others
- Give people space
- Practise good hand hygiene.
Further information
If you're new to Urban Sketchers London, have a look at Mike Whalley's brief history of the international Urban Sketchers movement.Location map
See you at Crystal Palace Park!
Let's draw London in 2023 -- Find our
full programme here
London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary Book
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