In early March work commenced on the refurbishment of the Office Block, the first phase of the proposed redevelopment of the entire Goods Shed and adjacent Goods Yard. The site was made secure with the erection of fencing demarcating the area retained by Network Rail. Access to and the security of the buildings was also improved.
Scaffolding was erected around the building on 7th March. The roof covering has been removed ready for re-slating.
The initial work within the Office Block involved the removal of all the internal office partition walls to create an open work environment, the removal of general debris and the plaster from the walls. This work revealed much more clearly, elements of the structure of the building, not all of which were previously known.
The fireplace in the north-west corner of the first floor in what was the Clerical Office on the 1947 plan. A similar fireplace in a comparable location exists in the ground floor Clerical Office.
One of a total of three fireplaces in the central chimney-stack. There are two back to back on the first floor, one related to an undesignated managerial office, the other opening in to the Clerical Office on the 1947 plan. The third is on the ground floor in the Chief Clerk's Office. It appears that this was subsequently converted into space for the installation of a safe.
Markings which appear to indicate former roof lines. The lower roof line which is replicated on the other side of the doorway, is possibly an indication of a former small single storey building attached to the Shed when constructed in the 1870’s. If so it is not marked on any known plans. The upper roof line relates to the existing roof line of the Shed. This roof line is not replicated beyond the doorway, the apex of the Shed roof and the apex of the Office Block roof are offset. The red brick infill is the wall of the Office Block as constructed in the early 20th Century.
Additional work has commenced to clear vegetation and the mass of miscellaneous detritus from the Goods Yard.
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