Reasons to stay at Crystal Palace CC site

Nestled amongst the busy streets of South London and perched on the outskirts of Crystal Palace Park is a very popular caravan site. The Crystal Palace Caravan site is quite difficult to get in and I can certainly understand why. It is ideally located for a visit into London. Now, you might think, as I did, that a site in the middle of a capital city won't be particularly appealing and possibly very noisy but that certainly wasn't the case. I was surprised how tranquil the site was, with very little noise heard from the nearby roads. The site is tucked amongst trees and not visible from the roads or park. you could easily forget where you are and mistakenly believe you're in the middle of woodland near a town.

 

Now, the most obvious reason for staying at this site is the convenience of travelling into London. There is a bus station and train station within easy walking distance - both of which have regular routes into the city centre. If you're feeling energetic enough, you could walk it - we did the 11.5 mile walk to Hyde Park from Crystal Palace one afternoon. It was a great way to take in the sights and get a feel for the different parts of London that you skip by in motorised transport.

• Explore Crystal Palace park. A short track from the caravan site leads into the park where there is plenty of space to run around and let off steam. As the track opens out into the old Victorian park, look out for the stone sphinxes majestically sat looking over the ground below. The tracks vary; some are gravelly and others flat so ideal for bikes or scooters. A playground is located in the centre of the park and not far from it there is a maze to explore (or get lost in!) and a dinosaur park. The dinosaurs are not like the ones you see in the film Jurassic Park or even the Natural History museum. These large clay models were designed and made during the the Victorian period and give an impression of what they believed dinosaurs looked like. Ella said, "they look a bit like fat crocodiles."
• Visit the Horniman museum (and gardens). We were recommended this museum by a couple of different people but didn't manage to go. It is a short walk from the Caravan Club site. We certainly intend to visit if and when we return though.
• Head into London to the museums. Two favourites with children are the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum (both free entry). It is difficult to take it all in so go with a focus. Stick to one area rather than wander around the whole building. The interactive section of the Science museum provides a superb hands-on experience for all ages and the exhibitions in the Natural History Museum will amaze.
• Wander around Covent Garden watching some of the street acts. They are always guaranteed to entertain.