Plaque

William Felton's carriage works was close to this spot. In 1803 he built a carriage powered by a steam engine designed and supplied by Richard Trevithick, the great Cornish engineer. The carriage made several trips from here with up to about 8 passengers. In July of that year, one trip was made via Greys Inn Lane, Dorset Square and Tottenham Court Road to Paddington, returning the same day via Islington. This was the first self-powered vehicle to run in the streets of London and the world's first self-powered road people carrier.
The London Steam Carriage heralded the age of the car.