Running with dinosaurs

As there are no parkruns at the moment I am using my Saturday for a long run. This week I decided to head over to Crystal Palace. I had done a shorter run there a week earlier and it looked like a good place to explore, but I was in a hurry to get home. This time there was no such time limitations.



I also took a slightly different route there. Rather than following the main roads I had discovered a more picturesque route along the Waterlink Way. This winds it's way along the banks of the Ravensbourne River from Catford to Lower Sydenham. Along the way passing the River Pool Linear Park.



My run began at 6:30am to help with social distancing rules. It was cool out as I made my way along Lewisham high street and into Catford. At the train station I crossed the main road and entered an industrial estate which was an ugly entrance to another, beautiful world.



Once through a small gate all I could see was fresh spring vegetation and the tranquil flowing river. I could hear all number of songbirds including wrens, robins, magpies, tits, warblers, chaffinch and parakeets. There was no traffic noise and no other people.



Alone with nature I allowed myself to be present and embrace a moment of peace amid the stress of self isolation and pandemic living.



When I emerged at the end of the route I recognised Sydenham Road which climbs relentlessly upward through Sydenham and up to the top of Crystal Palace. Puffing my way to the top I entered the park itself and began a clockwise loop.



The park is named after the Crystal Palace that was recreated, enlarged and moved there following the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851. Unfortunately the building was destroyed by fire in 1936.



There are many wide, clean and smooth paths, but I chose to take the off road trails of dry mud trails that took me through woodland and along hidden paths. I emerged onto one of the man made routes which led me past a small lake with what looked like a giant laptop submerged in it. This is the Crystal Palace Bowl, a natural amphitheatre with a large stage area.



Behind this was a large grass field containing a children's playground which had been cordoned off with red and white tape and the swings tied up the way that bored teenagers used to do - swinging them around and around the top bar until they were stuck. This time it was the park rangers that had done it to prevent people using them.



After the park was a closed visitors centre and café and then a large lake. I circled around this and then took a right onto a narrower path which led into an island where dinosaurs roamed. Many dinosaur models had been constructed and placed in the water and on the island including an Iguanadon, Megalosaurus and Ichthyosaurus. Apparently they are hideously poor representations but impressive none the less.



The huge models unveiled in 1854 now have grade 1 listed status. A bridge to reach them was crowdfunded in 2018. Among others, support came from Slash of Guns 'n' Roses fame.



After the dinosaurs I climbed uphill towards a huge brutalist structure which revealed itself as the National Sports Centre and Athletics Stadium. It reminded me of Friday evenings in my youth watching athletics events taking place there featuring Steve Cram, Fatima Whitbread, Tessa Sanderson and Daley Thompson (I'm showing my age now).



Further up the hill came the now empty site of the Palace. There are still some concrete remains there along with flights of steps and statues. The view of South East London remains breathtaking. You can see right out to Bromley, Orpington and the hills beyond. This morning with blue skies and the sun breaking through London below me was shrouded in mist.



I continued around the perimeter of the park passing the TV transmitting station which is the 8th tallest structure in London (219m) and can be seen from miles around. I had first spotted it on my run near my home in Lewisham. This completed my circuit.



After a few more laps I started exploring the park and came across a statue of Guy the Gorilla by David Wynne, a skatepark, a Memorial Bell and a giant bust of Sir Joseph Paxton who was the architect of the Crystal Palace.



By now it was 9 o'clock. The park was getting busy and it was a warm morning. I retraced my steps home completing 19 miles.