Sentence:  By then, of course, we and the book are in a sorry state, / scuffed and grubby and having been used / often for purposes not strictly intended, / from doorstop to lavatory-paper, / and ended up in a <WSD>knacker's yard</WSD>. / I'm in the <WSD>knacker's yard</WSD>. Have been for a while … / and, really, there are worse places to be. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A (notional) place to send a person or object that is spent beyond all reasonable use.