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Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Wood Shed
Wood Shed(S) (First World War)
Site Name Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Wood Shed
Classification Wood Shed(S) (First World War)
Alternative Name(s) Gretna Site 3; Dornock
Canmore ID 374024
Site Number NY26NW 91.18
NGR NY 24276 65166
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/374024
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Dornock
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
Field Visit (10 May 2022)
Canmore ID 374024
NY26NW 91.18
NY 24276 65166
This grass-grown building is situated about 30m to the SW of the Joiners Shop (NY26NW 91.17) and immediately adjacent to explosives magazine R4 (26NW46.12) where the roads turns sharply SE. A low brick wall measuring 5.5m from NE to SW, 0.2m in thickness and 0.25m in height marks its SE end, while a longer length of the SW wall also survives NW of the S corner.
The building is identified as a Wood Yard on the plan of the works (MMW 1919, plan) given with a Ministry of Munitions of War report outlining the processes involved in the manufacture of cordite propellant during the First World War at H.M. Factory, Gretna (Site 3).This indicates that it was rectangular on plan and measured originally about 43m from NW to SE by 6m transversely, but it is slighted at its NW end by a Narrow Gauge Railway track (NY26NW 46.27) making for explosives magazine R4 (NY26NW 46.12). Ground-based photography taken after construction (MUN 5-297 pt1, 245; Pearson Collection 363) held by the National Archives at Kew, illustrates the character of the building. These photographs show an open fronted, single storey, twelve bay building with a roof sloping down to the SW.
This building fell within the area of lot 503, which was offered for sale by auction on 22-5 July 1924 (HM Treasury 1924, 94-5 Carlisle City Archives, DX 170/38), when the ground was purchased by Messrs James Jackson & Co Ltd, St Vincent Street, Glasgow (Carlisle City Archives, DX 2040/3). After its removal from the site, only the foundations were left in place and these are readily visible on an aerial photograph (M124/13 04127) flown on 19 August 1940.
Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and ATW), 10 May 2022.
