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Spring 2007 Issue No 20
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The Russell Square Cabmen's Shelter
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Spring 2007 Issue No 20
The Russell Square Cabmen's Shelter
There are currently around 20,000 licensed black cabs in London and with so many cyclists, rickshaws and bendy buses to contend with, every cabbie needs somewhere to stretch their legs, grab a cuppa and unwind. As you walk around Russell Square to the North West corner, you will discover a peculiar green ‘shed-like’ structure, a cabby’s best-kept secret and an inner world dating back to Queen Victoria.
Prior to 1874, cabbies were banned from leaving their vehicles unattended at a cab stand, which made it virtually impossible for them to get a hot meal. In the winter months, a mixture of cold and hunger made the situation almost unbearable.
Alarmed by the cabby’s plight, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury decided to take action. Then aged 73, the Earl had spent much of his life championing the welfare of the working classes and the urban poor. After years of lobbying, he helped push through the Ten Hours Bill in 1847, founded numerous ragged schools and explored London’s worst slums.
With support from his philanthropic friends, the Earl now founded the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund which took up offices at 19 Buckingham Street, The Strand. The aim was to build and run shelters at the busiest cab stands within a six mile radius of Charing Cross. Each shelter would have an attendant and provide ‘good and wholesome refreshments at moderate prices.’ Between 1875 and 1914, the fund built a total of 61 shelters at cost of around £200 each.
Because the shelters stood on a public highway, the police stipulated they could be no larger than a horse and cart. Yet even with these restrictions, they squeezed in a working kitchen and seated up to thirteen men. To maintain a degree of decorum, the charity forbade gambling, drinking and swearing in any of its shelters. Instead, cabbies were encouraged to read the books and newspapers donated by publishers and other benefactors.
Today, there are thirteen cabmen’s shelters surviving in the capital, all of which are Grade II listed buildings. The Russell Square shelter spent most of its life in Leicester Square, once a major stopping point for taxis. When pedestrianisation arrived in the late 1980s, the cabbies were squeezed out and the shelter became obsolete. The decision was soon taken to move the shelter to Russell Square and the cabbies have never looked back.
Today, visitors to the shelter are greeted by Maureen. An experienced “attendant”, she took over Russell Square from her sister three years ago and ran the Embankment shelter before that.
Every day, Maureen caters for around thirty cabbies, serving up tea (40p), breakfast and hearty meals including the ever popular full English, chicken & mushroom pie and “Sketty Bolognese”.
Several cabbies have moved to Russell Square following the closure of the Kings Cross shelter. Their new home benefits from a central location and convenient parking, not to mention its rather more scenic Georgian surroundings.
Each shelter has its own personality and Russell Square is very much the “Arsenal FC Shelter”. In fact, if you don’t support Arsenal football club, you will be hard pushed to gain entry. When you peer inside the shelter, red memorabilia fills every nook and cranny. Flags, toy mascots, posters and photographs celebrate every major victory and goal-scoring hero through the years.
But at the far end of the shelter, the cabbies keep a wall free as a memorial to old friends, and every photo has a story to tell. The shelters were built as a second home for cabbies and the family atmosphere continues to this day. Some were open 24 hours a day and even now cabbies can happily hide away for hours on end, slurping tea, mulling over the world and waiting for the rain to pass.
The remaining cabmen’s shelters can be found at:
Chelsea Embankment - near the Albert Bridge
Embankment Place
Grosvenor Gardens - west side of north garden
Hanover Square - north of central garden
Kensington Park Road - outside numbers 8-10
Kensington Road - north side
Pont Street
St George's Square, Pimlico
Temple Place
Thurloe Place, Kensington - opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum
Warwick Avenue - Clifton Gardens
Wellington Place, St John's Wood
