1st August 1865 • Official Opening of High Level line
The High Level line was officially opened on the 1st August 1865, although the August report submitted be Frederick Turner to the Crystal Palace & South London Junction Railway Company states that "The works were completed, and the line opened for traffic on the 1st July last".
The subway that was supposed to convey 1st class passengers from the new terminus directly into the Crystal Palace had not been completed.
The Crystal Palace High Level Railway, John Gale
The New High Level Station at the Crystal Palace, Illustrated London News, Saturday, September 30, 1865
23rd December 1865 • Opening of the Subway
The arched subway leading from the High Level station of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway into the centre transept was opened on Saturday.
The Morning Post, Monday, December 25, 1865
The New High Level Station at the Crystal Palace, Illustrated London News, Saturday, September 30, 1865
30th June 1911 • King George V Coronation Fete
On the 30th June 1911. The King and Queen visited the Festival of Empire Exhibition as part of their Coronation celebrations. 100,000 children, selected from all the London Boroughs were invited to the Crystal Palace to see the Royal visitors. The Railway companies provided 96 trains to take the children to the Palace. The London, Dover and Chatham Railway terminated at the Crystal Palace High Level Station which represented quite a logistical problem, since each train once vacated had to have the locomotive turned, re-connected and taken to sidings to be parked ready for the return journey, never-the-less, the turn round time was accomplished within an average of six minutes. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway being a through station was somewhat easier.
The Festival of Empire Exhibition and Pageant of London, Crystal Palace 1911 by Fred Peskett
The High Level station was heavily used for the Children's Day but we have no evidence that any of the young people used the subway.
The comment on turning the trains in an average of six minutes was reported in the Daily Mirror who ran a feature of the King's Day with the Children.
1st January 1917 – 1st April 1919 • Wartime closure of the High Level Station
R.C. Riley describes how during a war time economy the High Level Station was closed between January 1st 1917 and March 1st 1919. The closure having a far reaching effect on traffic which never quite regained its former importance.
Riley, R. C. (1954, October). The Stations of the Crystal Palace. Trains Illustrated. Vol VII No 10, pp. 430-435.
30th November 1936 • Crystal Palace Fire
Photograph taken by O. J. Morris 1st December 1936, the morning after the fire at Crystal Palace. Reproduced by kind permission of Melvyn Harrison and The Crystal Palace Foundation
1939-1945 • High Level Station roof damaged by anti aircraft fire
R.C. Riley describes how during WWII both stations suffered slight damage. The Low Level station was hit by several bombs and the glass roof of the High Level station was much damaged by anti aircraft fire. No attempts were made to repair the roof after the war ended and as the northern end of the station was no longer needed to serve the Crystal Palace, after its destruction by fire in 1936, it was allowed to fall into disrepair. The High Level station was again closed for part of WWII; 1944-22-05 - 1946-03-03.
Riley, R. C. (1954, October). The Stations of the Crystal Palace. Trains Illustrated. Vol VII No 10, pp. 430-435.
1st January 1941 • Plans drawn up for the subway to be used as an air raid shelter
22nd May 1944 – 3rd March 1946 • War time closure of High Level Station
R.C. Riley comments that the High Level station was again closed for part of WWII; 1944-22-05 - 1946-03-03.
Riley, R. C. (1954, October). The Stations of the Crystal Palace. Trains Illustrated. Vol VII No 10, pp. 430-435.
19th September 1951 • Proposed withdrawal of passenger services by The Railway Executive
The 19th September appears to be the first mention of withdrawing passenger services from Crystal Palace High Level Station. It took exactly 3 years before the last train left Crystal Palace High Level station on 19th September 1954.
During that time there was considerable discussion about the pros and cons of closing the station and this dialogue can be seen in file LCC-CL-GP-2-51 at the London Metropolitan archive.
18 - 20th September 1954 • Closure of the High Level Station
The last day of train service from Crystal Palace High Level was 18th September with a steam train The Palace Centenarian running from Richmond as the last train on the Crystal Palace High Level Branch line. Seen here from the Huntley archives. The station was completely closed on the 20th September.
1961 • Demolition of station began
On 12th March 1961 the Norwood News reported on the demolition of the High Level Station with a photo of the tower next to the subway being pulled down.
The building had been "the subject of a campaign to clean up the Parade in Norwood News" the previous July. This article was found in the Upper Norwood Library archives.
August 1964 • London County Council produced survey drawings of the subway
1 of 4 drawings (MD96/01382-5) reproduced by kind permission of English Heritage
July 1969 • Vandalism and lighting of fires in subway
On 31st July 1969 the Crystal Palace Advertiser reported the subway's "architecture was in danger of suffering severe damage at the hands of young vandals. Because protection was inadequate they were finding their way into the subway and lighting fires and causing damage."
Mr Baerdemaerker (Chair) and the Dulwich Society were urging the Greater London Council to take better care of the subway. This article was found in the Upper Norwood Library archives.
November 1971 • Subway to be bricked up
During 1971 the Crystal Palace Advertiser and the West Norwood and Dulwich News both reported on the bricking up of the subway. Two reasons were given, firstly to keep the residents of the mobile homes on the High Level station site from accessing areas of the park closed to the public. Secondly The Greater London Council were responding to pressure from The Dulwich Society and The Norwood Society to do more to protect the subway. These newspaper clippings were found in the Upper Norwood Library archives.
27th October 1972 • Listing of the subway by Historic England
July 1973 • Subway in use as a statue store
18th July 1973 the subway was opened for the day for the purpose of inspecting the statues
Reproduced by kind permission of Melvyn Harrison and The Crystal Palace Foundation
August 1977 • Agreement that the London Air Museum could be housed in the subway
29th September 1979 • First Subway Superday
Volunteers have found records of Subway Superdays at the following times, September 1979, September 1983, September 1985, October 1986, 1988, May 1993, September 1994
October 1996 • Chemical Brothers released 'Setting Sun'
The Chemical Brothers released the single Setting Sun which was to be their first number one. The accompanying video celebrates dance culture of the time and was partly shot in the subway.
20 - 21st September 2013 • Subway opened for the first time as part of Open House London
23 march 2018 • Subway listing upgraded to grade II*
Subway, Vestibule, Terrace and Stairs to the Crystal Palace – List Entry Amended. List Entry Number: 1385457