GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hockley and Duddeston: gwrhd685

The main office block, which has "Goods Depot" on the veranda, was in fact a three storey building even though only two storeys are seen in this photograph. The reason was because Pitsford Street, which ran parallel to the office block, sloped significantly along its length and by the time it reached the office block it was the equivalent of a storey below the yard.

This storey (lower ground in today's parlance) housed the bonded store used to store tobacco and alcohol and was attended by a Customs and Revenue official. Only when the tobacco or alcohol left the store was duty required to be paid to the government.

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