Cart Marking is free spectator event and the second largest in the city of London after The Lord Mayor’s Show. You will see a selection of some of the most interesting and finest vehicles throughout the last 500-years.
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Our next Cart Marking Ceremony is Saturday 20 July 2024
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A truly unique collection of transport dating back from the horse & cart, to the latest, cleanest, greenest, and safest in use today.
The regulation of Carts dates back over 750-years to the early days of The City with the ceremony of Cart Marking evolving over time.
Today we bring all that history back to life with a modern twist. You will see vehicles ranging from handcarts, horse & carts, and horses & carriages to steam engines, Military vehicles & motorcycles, with historic, vintage & specialist vehicles – new and old – including the latest, powered by electricity and hydrogen.
The vehicles will set off from Smithfield Market and make their way to Guildhall Yard. (insert map) As they pass through Guildhall Arch they are greeted by the Lord Mayor of London, Masters from not one, but two London Livery companies, and the City of London’s Keeper of Guildhall Yard, (link ) all wearing their official gowns and robes. (picture)
As the vehicles are presented for marking, a commentator will tell us about the vehicle, its history and relevance.
The Lord Mayor or the Master Carman “Marks the Cart”, as has been done since 1665, with a red-hot branding iron.
What is this all about?
Well, it is quite simple!
A ‘cart’, in today’s terms, is a vehicle used to transport goods or passengers, either for hire or reward.
Branding is to burn a number, letter, or symbol on to a surface. (picture)
But why did they do it?
This was the earliest form of vehicle licencing, and having paid for your licence, a mark would be burnt onto your wooden cart. This would allow that cart to ply for trade, ‘for hire or reward’ for the forthcoming year, after which a new mark would need to be branded to allow that trade to continue.
Back then the licence fee would have been “five shillings” or 25-pence in today’s money. What is five shillings (picture of 5 shillings ) compared to £850 road tax for an articulated lorry today? Each vehicle that passes though the Arch at Guildhall to be marked, to this day, still pays their five shillings to City of London.
It takes about 2-hours for all the vehicles (Carts) to pass though Guildhall Yard, get marked and then process through again on a celebratory drive-past.
Souvenir programs are available for a small charitable donation.
Cart Marking is a City of London event brought to you by the The Worshipful Company of Carmen.
The Carmen were founded in 1517 and were the only Company to attain their ‘Livery’ status during the reign of Queen Victoria.