As you walk around London you may come across one of these green huts by the side of the road.
They are Cabmen’s shelters and they are amazing relics of Victorian London, but also a fantastic example of living history, as many of them are still in use today.
Read on for the history behind them and a map of their locations.
It is also one of the oddities in my book London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers! More info here.
The Origin Story
In the 1870s London cabs were not the sleek, black, motorised vehicles of today but horse-drawn carriages. The driver would be seated on top, exposed to the elements and therefore in particularly bad weather would often leave their cabs in search of shelter.
One particularly cold and unpleasant night, George Armstrong, editor of the Globe Newspaper, was looking for a cab. There were no cabs in sight and instead he discovered all the drivers huddled in the nearby pub.
Not a man to simply complain, he tackled the problem head on. He enlisted the help of MP’s and philanthropists, including the influential Earl of Shaftesbury and they got together to establish the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund in 1875.
The idea was to provide huts across London, located by cab ranks. Not only were they to offer shelter but also food and hot drinks (strictly no alcohol!).
The Cabmen’s Shelters
The first shelter was a moveable one in St John’s Wood but designs changed over time.
It is thought 61 of the wooden shelters were constructed from 1875-1914, with the simple and elegant design we see today the work of architect Maximilian Clarke.
They were designed to be the same width as a horse and cart, as per Metropolitan Police rules, to ensure that they could sit by the side of the road. The distinctive green colour made them instantly recognisable and easy to spot.
It has a small kitchen: you can see the chimneys at the top for ventilation.
The inside can seat around 10-13 cabbies usually. No alcohol, card-playing or gambling is allowed inside them.
The Shelters Today
Today there are only 13 left. Lots were lost during the bombing campaigns of both the First and Second World Wars. Lots of cabbies were also sent off to fight in the First World War and the cab industry went into a period of decline.
Traffic, vandalism and demolition for street widening also played a part.
Of the 13, most still operate as Cabbie’s shelters, the inside still strictly for black cab license holders. Anyone however can grab a hot drink or a bacon sandwich from the hatch.
They are all still managed by the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund to this day. Hanover Square is now, I think, the only one looking a bit worse for wear, but it is listed so hopefully will be back open soon.
In June 2022 two more of the shelters were Grade II listed by Historic England to protect them: the Pont Street and Chelsea Embankment shelters. As far as I can tell, most of the others are listed as well.
You can find a map of all the locations here:
Thank you for reading, more of London’s quirky history below.
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Fantastic information and photos. Thank you so very much.
Fascinating. Thank you.
Would like to see one
One of them (or a mock up of the inside of one) features in the 1947 film, The Turners of Prospect Road, recently on Talking Pictures TV. Mr Turner is a cabby, and the camaraderie of the shelter is shown. The plot revolves around dog racing.
Hi, isn’t there one on Haverstock/Rosslyn Hill in NW3 and also at South End Green at the bottom of Pond St?
Great post! Thanks
Yes there is the one on Haverstock Hill still does Tea Coffee dog rolls bacon sarnies etc The one down by end of pond Street is used by the bus drivers rest spot where buses terminate no food
Really enjoyed reading the history of London thank you
A dear friend sent me this link in the US. I always love London, Greenwich and all the spots I treasure as a guest of friends who live there. Next trip I want to see the Greenies!
Thanks so much for putting it on face book so interesting it would be great if someone one put interesting news on facebook ie evry week you feel great when you start to learn
If only my great grandfather had made use of these he might not have killed himself by falling while drunk from his cab!
That’s interesting. My ancestors on my Mothers side operated a Hanson cab business in London in the Victorian era.
What a great read!. I came from a Black Cab family of 4 relatives. I’m sure my Dad/Uncle/Cousins would have visited these in their time, while they were alive!
That is really interesting! I saw one by the Embankment Gardens only yesterday and wondered what it’s purpose was so now I know! Thank you.
What a treasure to uncover on Facebook, every picture I clicked brought a smile of delight to the boatrace of this 74-year-old Londoner and happy memories of bygone days. Thank you.
So interesting throughly enjoyed reading about London cabs
A similar design, but a little larger, the South End Green building is a tramwaymen’s shelter.
It is listed – some notes on it here:
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1380563?section=official-list-entry
Awesome story; thank you!
Unfortunately, I think the one on Temple Place is now closed. Such a shame, they used to do a killer Chicken burger…
Unfortunately the one on Temple Place is now closed. Such a shame, they used to do a killer chicken burger…
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