One of South London's "hidden gems" has undergone a £3.5 million restoration... and you can visit.
Restoration work has finally been completed on the Crystal Palace Subway. This Victorian marvel is a confection of red-and-cream fan vaults unlike anything else in London. It's the handiwork of Edward Middleton Barry, son of Charles Barry who gave us the Palace of Westminster.
The subway was built in 1865 to convey visitors from the high-level railway station to the Crystal Palace itself. After the palace burned down in 1936, the subway fell into disuse and was sealed off. Now, after a lengthy campaign by the Friends of Crystal Palace Subway (which we first covered way back in 2011) the structure has been restored for all to admire. It is the largest remnant of the Crystal Palace site to survive.
The £3.5 million project was funded through individual donations, topped up by the City of London and Historic England. The investment has brought a new roof to the entrance court as well as more general repairs to the whole structure. The Grade II*-listed subway is looking its most handsome again, in time for its 160th anniversary in 2025.
The subway will now be run by Crystal Palace Park Trust, the new community-led custodian of the wider park. Its restoration is part of a wider regeneration of the park, spearheaded by Bromley Council.
Here's our video of this remarkable space from 2015.
You can visit the subway free of charge during this year's Open House festival, on Saturday 21 September, 10am-2pm.
