The picturesque green cabmen’s shelter on Wellington Place in St John’s Wood, London has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.

Known locally as ‘The Chapel’ shelter it is the final example in the capital to be protected by listing.

The wooden huts were built by the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund as much-needed rest stops for licenced cab drivers, at a time when cabs were all horse-drawn.

The first cabmen’s shelter in London was built in 1875. Only 13 of these shelters survive in the city today and they are now all protected as listed buildings, recognising their architectural and historic importance.

The small, distinctive buildings continue to serve modern-day taxi drivers and are still overseen by the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025.

Only drivers with ‘The Knowledge’ can take a seat inside but many huts offer takeaway refreshments to the public too.

They are one of the few reminders left on London’s streets of the prevalence of the horse-drawn hansom cab trade in the 19th century. At the peak of their popularity there were thousands of hansom cabs in the capital. The last hansom cab driver in London stopped operating in 1947.

The familiar size, shape and colour helped cabbies spot the shelters easily. They are all the same proportions – no bigger than a horse and cart as they were on a public highway.

Designs varied over time but the most recognisable ‘ornamental’ version we see today was the work of architect Maximillian Clarke. The letters CSF for Cabmen’s Shelter Fund can often be found in the decorative fretwork. There’s even an official cabmen’s shelter paint colour – Dulux Buckingham Paradise 1 Green.

All 13 shelters were restored in a campaign by Heritage of London Trust during the 1980s and 1990s. Heritage of London Trust most recently supported the repair of ‘The Pier’ shelter on Chelsea Embankment by Albert Bridge in 2022.

“We’re really pleased that the Wellington Place shelter now has protected status, along with all the other remaining shelters. We know how special the shelters are but we need the London taxi trade and public’s support more than ever so that this important part of our heritage and working class history lives on,” said Colin Evans, Trustee Cabmen’s Shelter Fund.