A SET of mid-19th century photographs of Crystal Palace fetched almost three times the expected amount at auction.

The 47 photos were bought by English Heritage for £13,500. Bidding was only expected to reach £5,000.

The portfolio of shots, taken by Philip Henry Delamotte during the late 1850s, shows Crystal Palace, which was built for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park before being moved to Sydenham Hill.

An English Heritage spokesperson said: "Crystal Palace was a key building of Victorian England and we feel this record should be preserved in the public domain."