Bromley Council has invested £22 million, supplemented by a £5 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to restore 30 concrete dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park. The total £27 million project has officially removed the sculptures from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, though they retain their Grade I listed status.
Restoration details and historical significance
The dinosaurs, which include species such as Dicynodon, Mosasaurus, and Teleosaurus, were originally created for the Great Exhibition in the 1850s and unveiled in 1854 as the world's first dinosaur sculptures. Designed by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, they were based on the limited scientific knowledge of the time, drawing from monitor lizards and crocodiles scaled up in size. The Natural History Museum notes that while the sculptures now appear "comically incorrect," they provide valuable insight into the history of palaeontology.
The restoration began in 2025 when the dinosaurs were temporarily removed for repainting in their original colours. The project ensures visitors can now see the dinosaurs as Victorians did when they first appeared in the suburb.
Victorian fascination with dinosaurs
The word 'dinosauria' was coined in 1842 by Victorian palaeontologist Richard Owen, who was so enthused that he hosted a dinner inside a model of an Iguanodon in 1853. Charles Dickens also referenced a Megalosaurus in the opening chapter of Bleak House, writing: 'It would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.' The Crystal Palace building itself burned down in 1936, but the dinosaurs remain a popular attraction.
Local attractions and amenities
Crystal Palace Park is located in SE19, near the Crystal Palace Triangle, which offers independent shops, cafés, and restaurants. Highlights include Domali café, The Sparrowhawk pub, Mediterranea Sardinian restaurant, and Edo sushi. The area also hosts a Saturday food market and an annual festival in June. Nearby Penge features coffee shops such as Brown & Green Life and Carnival Coffee Roasters.
