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Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Burnt Pyrites House
Storehouse (First World War)
Site Name Gretna, Hm Factory, Eastriggs Explosives Factory, Acids Section, Burnt Pyrites House
Classification Storehouse (First World War)
Canmore ID 374388
Site Number NY26SW 38.06
NGR NY 24657 64940
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/374388
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Dornock
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
Field Visit (5 April 2022)
Canmore ID 374388
NY26SW 38.6
NY 24657 64940
Nothing is now visible of this building which is situated under dense deciduous scrub woodland and gorse about 7m SSE of the Screening House (NY26SW 38.5) and 11.5m WNW of the Mannheim Oleum plant (NY26SW 38.2).
The building is described as an Iron Oxide Store (MMW 1919, 55), although it is not identified 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 the cordite propellant during the First World War at H.M. Factory, Gretna (Site 3). The building was rectangular on plan and measured about 7.5m from WNW to ESE by 6.5m transversely and about 9m in height. It had a Belfast roof and was clad in corrugated iron sheets. Alongside were two cinder bins. An undated plan (SUPP 10-39) in the National Archives at Kew shows that the building fell within the area assigned to ‘Screening & Crushing’. It also shows that the cinder bins on the SSW were serviced by a loop of the standard gauge railway line (NY26NW 46.10) running below them. A ground-based photograph taken after construction (MUN 5-297 pt3, 500) also held at Kew, indicates that there was a door in the SSW elevation of the Store that led onto a wooden platform. This possibly provided external access to the cinder bins which were supported on six tall steel stanchions. They were capped with a housing clad in corrugated iron sheets which was provided with a Belfast roof. Hoppers hanging above the railway line discharged the iron oxide cinders resulting from the burning of pyrites in the neighbouring Mannheim Oleum Plant (NY26SW 38.2) into waiting railway trucks.
This building fell into lot 504, which was offered for sale by on 22-5 July 1924 (HM Treasury 1924, 95; 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). Its foundations are faintly visible on an aerial photograph (M124/13 04127) flown on 19 August 1940.
Visited by HES Heritage Recording (MMD and ATW), 5 April 2022
