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Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Mannheim Oleum Export House
Building (First World War)
Site Name Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Mannheim Oleum Export House
Classification Building (First World War)
Alternative Name(s) Hm Factory Gretna Site 3
Canmore ID 375175
Site Number NY26SW 38.50
NGR NY 24823 64898
NGR Description centred NY 24823 64898
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/375175
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Dornock
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
Field Visit (26 January 2022)
Canmore ID: 375175
Site Number: NY26SW 38.50
NGR NY 24819 64897 (centred)
An imperfect T-shaped grid, comprising up to seven rows of small concrete pyramidical footings with square sockets for stanchions, is situated in dense deciduous scrub woodland about 10m SE of the site of the Oleum Tanks (NY26SW 38.46). The grid measures about 19m from WNW to ESE by 8.5m transversely. The NNE row abuts against the remains of three equally spaced, short, low brick walls on the ESE, oriented from NNE to SSW. A low concrete block ramp (similar to that at the SW corner of the Sulphur Store (NY26SW 38.3) is situated at the limit of the grid on the ESE, roughly midway SSW of the brick walls.
These elements are all that remains of the Oleum Export building which is identified on the plan of works given in a Ministry of Munition Works report (MMW 1919, plan, 55) 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 3, Eastriggs)).A small roughly rectangular structure is also shown on the plan about 3m to the WNE of the grid (NY 24813 64900). There is now no trace of this building, and the ground in this area has been disturbed. A description (SUPP 10-21 3920) and a blueprint (SUPP 10-21 3919) held by the National Archives at Kew, indicates that the Export House was a wooden building with a Belfast roof fronted by a broad wooden platform. Oleum from the nearby tanks was weighed in a small building to the NNE of the platform before being transferred into drums for export to other parts of the factory. The platform was of sufficient height to allow the drums to be rolled directly on to the floor of a standard gauge railway wagon. The small structure to the WNW may possibly have been a tank.
This building fell into either lot 506 or 507, which was offered for sale by auction on 22-5 July 1924 (HM Treasury 1924, 100), when the lots were 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 04144) flown on 19 August 1940.
Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and ATW), 26 January 2022.
