London, Brighton and South Coast Railway closely involved with the company that purchased The Crystal Palace after the completion of The Great Exhibition in October 1851 and arranged for its removal to a site on Sydenham Hill, close to the London to Brighton main line, where it became a major tourist attraction. The LB&SCR therefore encouraged the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway to build a branch line from Sydenham, opened in June 1854. This was extended in a wide arc round south London to Wandsworth in 1856 and Battersea Pier in 1858. Shortly after the line was completed, the LB&SCR leased it and
The Albert Palace The Albert Palace The Albert Palace was located in Battersea, in the borough of Wandsworth, London. It faced, and formed a backdrop to the lake in Battersea Park, and was a re-erection of an iron and glass building, like The Crystal Palace of 1851, which had partly housed the Dublin International Exhibition of 1865. In 1882, a company was created to dismantle the temporary structure in Ireland, ship it to London and re-site it on Prince of Wales Road (now known as Prince of Wales Drive, London). The main building fronted Prince of Wales Road and was of glass with