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18
Aug
Refurbishment begins on rare Ripon building
Refurbishment work began this morning (August 18) on one of Ripon’s rarest and most unusual structures.
The Cabmen’s Shelter – a grade two listed building dating back to the days of horse-drawn hansom cabs and Hackney carriages, is being restored by specialist painting contractor Bagnalls.
The building, which was donated to Ripon City Council in 1999, is located on the east side of Market Square, next to the line of four telephone kiosks that are also grade two listed.
A green plaque, recognising the historic importance of the shelter, was installed by Ripon Civic Society.
The distinctive Edwardian structure was constructed in 1911 by Boulton & Paul of Norwich – the company that also built huts for Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition of 1910-13.
Paid for with a £200 legacy from Sarah Carter, whose father was a former mayor of Ripon, the shelter has been restored on a number of occasions, including in 1980, when the city’s Royal Engineers fitted a wheeled chassis, so that it could be moved.
Very few of the shelters survive. There are 13 in London, all grade II listed buildings. Others are located in Hitchin and in Ipswich.
In the north of England they are rare – with one at Embsay station and another on West Park in Harrogate.
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