Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Nitroglycerine Hills Area, Magazines

Canmore ID 374117

NY26SE 16.06

NGR NY 266 564

There are 34 Nissen Huts situated within the First World War bunds that were constructed for three of the Nitroglycerine Hills (NY26NE 16.02, NY26NE 16.03, NY26NE 16.04) in the area delimited by the Second World War security fence (NY26NW 46.20). Those to the S are built on top of a ridge, the gradient of which eases sharply as the ground levels-off in boggy ground. They are all served by a narrow-gauge railway system (NY26NW 46.23) which was re-introduced when the Depot was active during the Second World War. However, one at least is now served by a formal concrete road (W1). Each of the Nissen Huts is rectangular on plan and measures between 11m and 15.25m in length by between 10m and 11.5m transversely, standing up to 5.5m in height. They are built on concrete platforms extending about 1m beyond the footprint of the buildings. These platforms were originally constructed for the First World War buildings that were erected within the blast mounds, but they were repaired and modified where necessary for the new structures. All are clad in corrugated iron sheets laid over a steel frame made up of between seven to ten T-sectioned ribs fastened together from five curved sections, while timber purlins and steel joists brace the structures. Camouflage paint (green and black) has been applied to their exteriors. The roofs slightly overhang the gables at each end and each of these has a rectangular window set 2.5m above the ground surface, measuring between 3.5m and 4m in breadth by 1.6m in height. There were two rows of five windows within a timber frame, each originally divided into four panes. However, many have been replaced with simple perspex sheets. Twenty-four of the Nissen huts have wooden porches with double doors roughly facing N (W11-34), while seven face E (W1, 3, 5, 7, 8-10) and three face W (W2, 4, 6). Four doors are situated at the N end of the building (W1, 3, 5, 7), six at the S end (W2, 4, 6, 8-10), eight at the E end (W13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 29, 32) and sixteen at their W end (W11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 34). The position of the Nissen Hut entrances were dictated by the locations of the entrances of the original buildings that occupied the bunds during the First World War. The roofs are covered internally with fibreboard and plywood, while the lower section of the gables are lined with vertical tongue and groove planking. A bogie track entering by the door generally stopped within a shallow well about 3m - 4.5m in length and 0.15m - 0.25m in depth. A steel lifting beam attached to the joist closest to the entrance ran the full length of the building. In addition, some huts retain pendulum lights suspended from their ceilings (e.g. W1).

These Nissen Huts, which were constructed in 1938-9, formed part of the Eastriggs storage depot and were used as ammunition magazines. The bunds of the First World War Nitroglycerine Hills (NY26NE 16.02, NY26NE 16.03, NY26NE 16.04) were reused as in the event of an explosion they would prevent a chain reaction across the Depot. All are clearly visible on an aerial photographs (M124/13 04121-2) flown on 19 August 1940, which show that the huts had been camouflage painted – those on Hill 2 and Hill 3 with a dark paint, while those on Hill 4 had a more variegated cover. They also show that the new narrow-gauge railway network was gradually being introduced. Later aerial photographs (39/4701 P0024 - 0027) flown on 6 May 1975 show that the huts had been repainted and the blast mounds surrounding at least three had been restored (W6, W7, W10). There was at least one earlier numbering system (Dumfries: Eastriggs Sub Depot. Site Plan of Depot 1956, 4283), but although it is uncertain when the ‘W’ numbering was introduced, it was in use by 2012 (Ministry of Defence DM Eastriggs Dumfries & Galloway, MOD Boundary and Buildings Plan, 2012).

W1: NY 26263 64916

W2: NY 26391 64958

W3: NY 26516 65000

W4: NY 26653 65007

W5: NY 26787 65009

W6: NY 26919 65013

W7: NY 27051 65017

W8: NY 26241 64762

W9: NY 26571 64869

W10: NY 27047 64884

W11: NY 26185 64659

W12: NY 26268 64686

W13: NY 26349 64712

W14: NY 26509 64766

W15: NY 26596 64794

W16: NY 26680 64821

W17: NY 26938 64814

W18: NY 27027 64804

W19: NY 27115 64794

W20: NY 26208 64583

W21: NY 26292 64609

W22: NY 26376 64636

W23: NY 26535 64690

W24: NY 26620 64719

W25: NY 26703 64746

W26: NY 26928 64735

W27: NY 27016 64725

W28: NY 27104 64715

W29: NY 26576 64580

W30: NY 26660 64608

W31: NY 26737 64663

W32: NY 26918 64653

W33: NY 27005 64625

W34: NY 27095 64633

Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and ATW), 7 September 2022