Cabmen’s Shelters: Victorian London
Green Cab Shelters are dotted around London from Victorian days.
Of the 61 shelters known to have been built between 1875 and 1950 only 13 now survive.
The cabins, dating from 1875, were stops where licensed horse-drawn cab drivers could get a meal or hot drink.
In Victorian London, cabmen were prohibited by law from leaving their cabs unattended in the rank.
While on the job there was no protection from the elements, access to hot food or a place to rest. This led many drivers to stop at a pub between fares.
However, they would have to pay someone to look after their cab, risk it being stolen, and some drivers were found to ‘drink more than is good for their health or behaviour’.
The idea of providing shelters on the ranks was first conceived by Captain George C Armstrong, editor of The Globe newspaper.
When Armstrong was unable to get a cab during a storm because the drivers had all sought refuge in local pubs, he decided to band together a group of wealthy and influential philanthropists to provide a solution.
He helped establish The Cabmen’s Shelter Fund (CSF) in London in 1875, providing warm and dry rest stops at ranks across the capital. The charity still operates today.
"They are London icons as much as red buses or black cabs," a Historic England spokesperson said.
"They are reminder of how our transport systems have changed over time.
"It's wonderful to see these historic structures still in use today or finding a new lease of life - long may it continue."
The first shelter was moveable and was built in February 1875 on Acacia Road in St John’s Wood, outside Armstrong’s home.
Designs of cabmen’s shelters varied over time but the most recognisable ‘ornamental’ shelter design we see today was the work of architect Maximillian Clarke.
The familiar size, shape and colour helped cabbies spot them easily.
The shelters had a small kitchen run as a café by an attendant and space for around 10 drivers to sit, enjoy a meal and each other’s company.
Gambling, drinking and swearing were strictly forbidden.
Most of London cabmen’s shelters have been lost – their roadside position made them prone to damage from traffic and vandalism or impacted by changes to road layout. Of the 61 shelters known to have been built between 1875 and 1950 only 13 now survive.
Here’s a list of the remaining cabmen’s shelters in London:
Embankment Place
Grosvenor Gardens
Hanover Square
Kensington Park Road
Kensington Road
Pont Street
Russell Square
St George's Square, Pimlico
Temple Place
Thurloe Place, Kensington
Warwick Avenue, London
Wellington Place
Cabmen's Shelter’s were staffed by an attendant who sold food and (non-alcoholic) drink to the cabbies and were provided with a kitchen.
The staff would cook this food and also food provided by the cabbies themselves.
The attendant was not generally paid, but was expected to make an income from these sales.
The shelters were also provided with seats and tables and books and newspapers, most of them donated by the publishers or other benefactors.
Most could accommodate ten to thirteen men. Gambling, drinking and swearing were strictly forbidden.
Thirteen of the shelters still exist and are still run by the Cabmen's Shelter Fund - all are now Grade II listed buildings.
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