This is what the mysterious green huts along London’s roads are really for

Ever seen one of these little buildings and wondered what they’re for? (Picture: Getty Images)

There are plenty of weird and wonderful sights in London, as long as you look up from your smartphone while exploring the capital’s streets.

From art deco tiles still surviving in Tube stations, to beautiful architecture dating back to Victorian times and beyond, there’s a lot to be discovered.

But have you ever noticed the green wooden huts dotted around the city?

These small structures are located along some of London’s busiest roads, and while they might look like trendy food stalls selling oysters or some other overpriced street food, they actually date back to the late 19th century.

They are Cabmen’s Shelters – specially created for the taxi drivers of London to take a break between jobs.

The shelters were first built back when taxis were horse-drawn carriages rather than the iconic black cabs we recognise today.

An engraving of one of the first Cabmen’s Shelters on Acacia Road, St John’s Wood, from 1875 (Picture: De Agostini via Getty Images)

This is where you can find the remaining 13 Cabmen’s Shelters – click to enlarge (Picture: Metro Graphics)

This one sits right in the middle of Thurloe Place (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)

Because of this, London’s historic taxi drivers were exposed to the elements – and it could be difficult to persuade a cab driver to part from a warm hearth in a pub on cold, rainy nights.

It’s been said that one day in January 1875, one gentleman was unable to get a taxi during a blizzard because all local drivers had taken shelter in a pub – and were no longer sober enough to drive.

While drink-driving laws didn’t exist yet, it’s fair to suggest that most people wouldn’t want to risk their necks in a horse-drawn carriage driven by a chaffeur nine pints deep.

In response, the Cabmen’s Shelter fund was set up – and 61 of the small green huts, just big enough for a horse and cart, were built on some of London’s busiest streets.

Only 13 of the shelters still survive today, and they’re exclusively for use by taxi drivers who have passed The Knowledge, the essential test to become a black cab driver in London.

Those that remain are Grade II listed and dotted throughout London. If you want to visit one of the historic Cabmen’s Shelters, you’ll find them at the following locations:

Chelsea Embankment, SW3 – close to junction with Albert Bridge

Embankment Place, WC2 – near the Playhouse Theatre

Grosvenor Gardens, SW1 – west side of the north gardens

Hanover Square, W1 – north side of the central gardens

Kensington Park Road, W11 – outside numbers 8-10

Kensington Road, W8 – close to the junction of Queen’s Gate SW7

Pont Street, SW1 – close to the junction of Sloane Street

Russell Square, WC1 – western corner (relocated from Leicester Square)

St George’s Square, Pimlico, SW1 – on the north side

Temple Place, WC2 – near junction with Surrey Street

Thurloe Place, SW7 – in the middle of the road opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum

Warwick Avenue, W9 – centre of the road, by Warwick Avenue tube station

Wellington Place, NW8 – near Lord’s Cricket Ground

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The Cabmen’s Shelters aren’t the only green pieces of street furniture to be found in our capital, but while these are listed and protected, others are being revamped into something entirely different.

Clunky green street cabinets which used to store broadband cables will soon be transformed into power banks for electric vehicle charging points.

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