The Curious Story Of London's Little Green Shelters

They’re easy to miss. Dotted around London are around a dozen of these dark green wooden shelters — they could be gardening huts or storage sheds. They’re often on squares or parks where you can park a car, like Russell Square or Grosvenor Gardens.

But the shelters are much more sociable than their lack of windows would suggest. Cab shelters were originally built for cabbies at the end of the 19th century (that is, for a horse and cab, which is where the word comes from) to get a hot cup of tea and something to eat while the horses were resting, rather than hang out in the busy pubs.

Look carefully and you’ll see a serving hatch for tea

The first one was built in 1875 and originally there were 60 dotted around London, all serving cheap food, fry ups and mugs of tea to the city’s cabbies. The horses disappeared and cars replaced cabs, but the cabbie’s shelters went on serving. Today about 10 cabbies can fit in each one. They still operate as cafés-cum-secret clubs where the cabbies can chat through their days. The food is some of the cheapest in London and the camaraderie is something special as the drivers sit and put the world to rights.

Only on a very few occasions have these shelters even let a non-taxi driver inside or served them a brew. Prince Charles is one, Joanna Lumley another.

There are a dozen or so are still operating but despite all being Grade 2 listed buildings (which means they can’t be knocked down), they are under threat as the black cabs’ dominance on the roads have been challenged by Uber and other on-demand apps. Rather than depending on an app, London cabbies have to pass the Knowledge — an encyclopaedic exam of 25,000 streets. It takes up to four years to learn it all and not rely on GPS, yet they’re up against cheaper, more technological approach taken by on-demand car apps.

Next time you see a Cabman’s Shelter you’ll be able to imagine what’s going on inside — tea and fry ups mainly.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.