Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Condensing Towers And Fan House
Structure(S) (First World War)
Site Name Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Condensing Towers And Fan House
Classification Structure(S) (First World War)
Alternative Name(s) Hm Factory Gretna Site 3
Canmore ID 375027
Site Number NY26SW 38.35
NGR NY 24923 64998
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/375027
- 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: 375027
NY26SW 38.35
NY 24923 64998
A grid of small moss-grown, pyramid-shaped concrete footings for steel stanchions is situated in dense deciduous scrub woodland about 12m ESE of Retort House North (NY26SW 38.11) and 7m WNW of the Still House (NY26SW 38.31). Their spacing varies with each concrete footing on the NNE to SSW axis measuring 1.85m apart (centre to centre), while those on the WNW to ESE measure 1.6m apart.
The structures supported by these concrete footings are identified as Condensing Towers on the plan of the works (MMW 1919, plan) given in the report by the Ministry of Munitions of War outlining the processes involved in the manufacture of the cordite propellant during the First World War at H.M. Factory, Gretna (Site 3). The Condensing Towers were founded on a rectangular plan, which measured 17.5m from NNE to SSW by 14m transversely. A narrow building is also shown to its SSW of which no trace was noted at the date of visit. A blueprint (SUPP 10-27, 3802) and ground-based, contemporary official photographs (MUN 5-297 pt3, 448, 453) taken after construction and held in the National Archives at Kew show the towers encased in a steel framework and identify the slim building as a Fan House (NY 24933 64995). This was rectangular on plan and measured about 14m from WNW to ESE by 2.5m transversely. It was a single story, weatherboarded, ridge roofed building with a vent that ran its full length. The SSW elevation contained at least five windows and two doorways.
Both these structures fell into lot 507, which was offered for sale by auction on 22-5 July 1924 (HM Treasury 1924, 101). The lot was bought by Messrs James Jackson & Co Ltd, St Vincent Street, Glasgow (Carlisle City Archives, DX 2040/3). After their removal from the site, only the foundations were left in place and these are readily visible on an aerial photo-graph (M124/13 04117) flown on 19 August 1940.
Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and ATW), 10 May 2022.
