Pickfords Goods Yard
In the area now occupied by The Empire Square Complex was Pickford's Goods Yard - a large and extensive depot that covered an area from Tabard Street to Long Lane the main entrance being in Long lane - no doubt in its day an employer of many men in the area while the yard seemed to dominated the area.
In this old picture we can see the entrance to Pickfords Yard on the left.
Many of us are unaware that the goods yard existed but it is shown on the maps for 1872,1894,1914 and as late as the 1936 to 1952 maps of the area