Britain from above

Blackpool's famous tower taken from a plane in the 1920s

Just one of the thousands of aerial views

Today over 16,000 aerial images taken between 1919 and 1953 have been put on line at www.britainfromabove.org.uk. The photos have been saved and digitalised with the help of English Heritage and the Royal Commissions on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Wales.

There are some aerial scenes that have yet to be identified and the site is asking for help from visitors to provide identification. 

'Aerial views of a very different Britain' comment by Simon Jenkins. 

Not surprisingly the site is proving to be very popular today so not all the features appear to be working properly but more than enough fascinating photos to whet the appetite! Shows what a wonderful tool the internet can be!

The Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood, South London 

Fascinating photo of Crystal Palace taken in 1928. The railway and the Crystal Palace High Level Railway Station can be clearly seen just to the north of the Crystal Palace Parade. This line, which ran through Nunhead into Victoria, was opened in 1865 and closed in 1954. Although the tunnel along Sydenham Hill still exists, the station has long been demolished and replaced by residential housing. The railway crossed over the South Circular at Lordship Lane and was immortalised by Camille Pissarro and his painting of a train leaving the station at Lordship Lane headed towards Crystal Palace.    

Some other views of The Crystal Palace here and here.