Cabmen's shelter
1901
West side of Russell Square (formerly in Leicester Square)
Over sixty of these shelters were constructed from1875 onwards with a special fund set up by Lord Shaftesbury, and the support of other philanthropists. [continued below]
Photograph and commentary Jacqueline Banerjee, 2009
A plaque on this particular shelter explains that it was presented by Sir Squire Bancroft. A well-known actor-manager, and first president of the council of the RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; see Weinreb et al. 706), Bancroft had a particularly strong association with London's theatreland, which would account for the shelter's original siting in Leicester Square.
Because of their busy locations, the shelters were restricted in their size: they could only take up as much space as a horse and cart. Nevertheless, they still allowed as many as thirteen cabbies (then notorious for their drinking habits) to sit round a table inside and "restore their flagging spirits with a cheap meal and a hot but non-alcoholic drink" (Weinreb et al. 943). Only a dozen are left now, their locations listed at "Cabmen's Shelters, London" (a "Heritage and History" site).
Related Material
References
Weinreb, Ben, et al. The London Encyclopaedia. 3rd ed. London: Macmillan, 2008.
Last modified 12 March 2009