Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Nitrocotton Production Area, Refrigeration House And Air Compressor House

DORNOCK AIR COMPRESSOR PLANT

The air compressor plant was divided into two parts, one of which was situated to the SSW of the Boiler House (NY26NE 139), while the other lay to the S of the Nitrating House (NY26NE 140.3). In both areas, steam-driven compressors were housed in brick buildings. The compressed air produced was used to elevate acids employed in the production processes – such as in the Gaillard Towers (NY26SW 38.26) (MMW 1919, 168).

Information from HES Heritage Recording (MMD, ATW), 18 May 2023.

Canmore ID 374980

Site Number NY26NE 140.07

NGR NY 25114 65172 (centred)

Few traces remain of three buildings which are situated under dense deciduous scrub woodland about 15m ESE of the foundations of the more easterly of the Acid Mixing Storage Tanks (NY26NE 140.0).

These buildings are shown on the plan of the works with a Ministry of Munition Works report (MMW 1919, plan) held in the National Archives, Kew, outlining the processes involved in the manufacture of the cordite propellant during the First World War at H.M. Factory, Gretna (Site 3x, Eastriggs).They are identified as a Refrigeration House (NY 25104 65176), an Air Compressor House (NY 25121 65167), while the third to the N of the latter may be a Cooler (NY 25122 65181). The Refrigeration House was rectangular on plan and measured 22m from NNE to SSW by 15m transversely, while the Compressor House which was also rectangular on plan measured about 13m from NNE to SSW by 9m transversely. By contrast, the Cooler was T-shaped on plan and measured 7m NNE to SSW by 4m transversely overall. Ground-based, contemporary official photographs taken after construction (MUN 5-297, pt2, 331; MUN 5-297 pt3, 474; MUN 5-297 pt5, 717) held in the National Archives at Kew, show that the Refrigeration House was a single-storey, single-bayed, brick-built structure with a Belfast roof capped by three vents. There were three windows in the WNW and ESE elevations. A small structure with a roof sloping from NNE to SSW jettied out from SSW elevation close to the SE corner. The Air Compressor House was also brick-built with a similar structure on its SSW elevation. It had a ridged roof with at least two ventilators, a window and a door in its WNW elevation and three windows in its ESE elevation. A later photograph (MUN 5-297 pt5, 717) shows that the jettied structures had been removed from both buildings.

All three structures fell into lot 510, which was offered for sale by auction on 22-5 July 1924 (HM Treasury 1924, 103) when the land was purchased by Messrs James Jackson & Co Ltd, St Vincent Street, Glasgow (Carlisle City Archives, DX 2040/3). After the buildings’ removal from the site, only their foundations were left in place and these are readily visible on an aerial photograph (M124/13 04118) flown on 19 August 1940.

Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and AW) 12 May 2022.