Vandal attack on Harrogate's historic cabman's shelter

Vandals have attacked one of Harrogate's iconic cabman's shelter.
The cabman's shelter at Harrogate's Montpellier Hill.The cabman's shelter at Harrogate's Montpellier Hill.
The cabman's shelter at Harrogate's Montpellier Hill.

Located at the top of Montpellier Hill facing West Park, the historic green hut is used during the summer as a booth to sell Yorkshire Dales farmhouse ice cream.

But the summer holidays have now seen unknown culprits smash three of the windows of the picturesque cabman's shelter.

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The first cabman's shelter was built in London in 1875 by a charity established by leading figures of the Victorian era, including The Earl of Shaftesbury.

A close-up of the broken windows at the historic green shelter in Harrogate.A close-up of the broken windows at the historic green shelter in Harrogate.
A close-up of the broken windows at the historic green shelter in Harrogate.

The trend was sparked, originally, by concern that hansom cab drivers could not leave the cab stand while their cab was parked there which made it difficult for them to get hot meals, especially in winter.

They quickly spread across the city and across the country and can still be found in places such as Harrogate and Ripon, whose Grade II listed green hut is located in the Market Square.

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