I wonder if this door was related to warrants issued for arresting criminals, which I think is a bit of paper that says "You're nicked". Don't quote me on this - I've only learned it from old episodes of The Bill etc. I hope that this fine old Victorian building can find a new owner and a new use. It shows the confidence of those times that the purpose of the door was labelled in letters carved in stone, they thought it would be needed in the long term. Near here our general Post Office (a more workaday building) still has POST and OFFICE carved into the stone lintels above its disused doors.
