About this site
An independent reading guide to Crystal Palace, its glass palace and the park that remains.
What this site is
The Glass Ridge is a small, independent guide to the history and landmarks of Crystal Palace in south London. It brings together the story of the glass palace built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, its move to Sydenham Hill, the fire of 1936 and the Victorian remains that still stand in the park.
The five articles are written as plain explanations for curious readers. Where sources disagree, for example on dates or on the cause of the fire, the articles say so and do not pick a version for the sake of a neat story.
What it is not
This is not the official website of the park, of any local council, museum, heritage body, society or community group, and it is not a newspaper or magazine. It has no connection with any of them and does not speak for them.
The site does not publish news, listings of events with dates, opening hours, prices or timetables, because these change often. For anything of that kind, please use the official sources of the organisations concerned.
How the articles are put together
The articles draw on encyclopaedic reference works, heritage registers and published histories. Statements that could not be confirmed were left out, and uncertain points are marked as uncertain in the text.
No authors, reviews or personal accounts are invented here. If you notice a mistake, treat the articles as a starting point and check it against a primary source such as a heritage register or an archive.