James Smith and Sons on New Oxford Street keeps London dry since 1830

In a city famous for its weather, it seems right that one of London's most beloved shops is devoted to umbrellas. James Smith and Sons has been keeping Londoners dry since 1830, and its shop on New Oxford Street has one of the capital's most handsome Victorian shopfronts.

The business was founded in 1830 by James Smith, as a single shop in Foubert's Place. It later moved to its current home at Hazelwood House, 53 New Oxford Street, where the shop is Grade II* listed. Its shop fittings date from around 1865, and the shop keeps its traditional Victorian character, inside and out.

The range goes far beyond the everyday brolly. The shop sells umbrellas for men and women, sun umbrellas and folding models from James Smith and Sons, Knirps and Pierre Vaux. There is an extensive selection of walking sticks too, in country, town, ladies', folding and tropical hardwood styles, along with seatsticks, accessories such as wrist loops and ferrules, and gifts including horn items and cufflinks.

Quality is built to last. James Smith and Sons offers a repair service for products it has made, so a good umbrella can be cared for over many years, a refreshingly sustainable approach in an age of throwaway goods.

The shop has also become something of a star. It appeared, renamed Henry Cooper and Sons, in the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger, featured in the BBC's Partners in Crime in 2015, and served as a dead drop in the film Spooks: The Greater Good. It even appears in the children's book Gaspard's Foxtrot.

For visitors, stepping through the door feels like stepping back in time, thanks to the shop's historic interior. It is a reminder that some of the best London shopping experiences come from specialists who have perfected a single craft.

The shop describes itself simply as "a proud part of London since 1830", and nearly two centuries on, it remains just that.

James Smith and Sons is at Hazelwood House, 53 New Oxford Street, WC1, near Tottenham Court Road station. For the full range and repairs, visit james-smith.co.uk or call 020 7836 4731.