Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace stands on a ridge above north London between Wood Green and Muswell Hill. Built on the site of Tottenham Wood Farm, it was designed by John Johnson and Alfred Meeson and opened in 1873. The building covers about seven and a half acres and was intended as a public entertainment venue. A fire destroyed much of it two weeks after opening, but it was rebuilt and reopened in 1875. The palace has been known as the People’s Palace and also as Ally Pally. The palace became the world’s first regular public high-definition television service in 1936. The BBC leased part of the building and used its studios and mast for decades. Original studios and the Victorian theatre survive, along with historic stage machinery. The Great Hall and West Hall host exhibitions, concerts and conferences today. The park is a local nature reserve and a Grade 1 site for nature conservation. Visitors find the Great Hall and West Hall used for events, a pub, an ice rink and a palm court. The original Victorian theatre is back in use and its stage machinery is preserved. The palace’s radio and television mast still stands on the hill. Views from the ridge stretch across London. The park once had a racecourse, a boating lake and a switchback ride, traces of which remain.