The duties of the office involved waiting on the king when he ate in private, helping him to dress, guarding the bedchamber and water closet, and providing companionship.
Although the water closet was used in wealthy homes, concerns over river pollution, costs and available water supplies meant that most towns and cities chose more labour-intensive dry conservancy systems.
Additional structures were constructed at the site over time, including a station master's house, water tower, water closet, and a second depot for freight located farther to the north.