Eastriggs
| Eastriggs | |
| Dumfriesshire | |
|---|---|
 Church of St John the Evangelist, Eastriggs | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY247662 |
| Location: | 54°59’6"N, 3°10’34"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,683 |
| Post town: | Annan |
| Postcode: | DG12 |
| Dialling code: | 01461 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Eastriggs is a village in the south of Dumfriesshire. It lies close to the shores of the Solway Firth, along the B721 between Gretna and Annan.
The village has a small number of shops, a restaurant, post office, public house, primary school, working men's club and a church.
Contents
Geography
Eastriggs is built on the generally flat land of the Solway Plain, rising from about thirty feet above sea level. It is about three miles east of Annan and a mile east of Dornock. Gretna is five miles to the east. Just a mile or two to the south is the edge of the broad muflats and sandbanks of the tidal channel of the River Eden, which at high tide are submerged beneath the waters of the Solway Firth.
The B721 is a coastal road which runs parallel to the main A75 road to the north; along it is s tring of Solway villages; Annan, Dornock, Eastriggs and Gretna. The Glasgow South Western Line connecting Carlisle, Gretna Green and Annan passes through the currently closed Eastriggs railway station. This station is disused, but there are plans to provide a smaller replacement one the line, which has been upgraded from single to double track, enabling simultaneous passenger and freight traffic.
History
Eastriggs is in the parish of Dornock. Eastriggs appears to have taken its name from the farm, or farm house, known as Eastriggs that was located in the middle of what was to become the new township.[1] The only other buildings in the area prior to First World War were a group of houses at Lowtherton (now North Road, Lowthertown); a parallel group on what is now the B721 road; an inn and a smithy where East Road joins the B721.[1]
The township of Eastriggs was created as a result of the shell and ammunition crisis of June 1915 which prompted the newly founded Ministry of Munitions to create a new cordite factory.[2]
Officially designated H M Factory Gretna, the factory was spread over a nine-mile site stretching from Dornock through Gretna to Longtown, Cumberland.[3] This required a huge influx of labour, and 30,000 men and women came from all over the Empire to serve as construction and factory workers.[4]
Sir Raymond Unwin, Chief Housing Architect of the housing branch of the Explosives Department of Ministry of Munitions, designed wooden housing for the workers in both Eastriggs and Gretna.[5] As a mark of respect for the immigrant workforce, the streets were named after various cities within the Empire.[4]
Landmarks
Church of St John the Evangelist
The parish church is the Church of St John the Evangelist. Designed in the Gothic style by C M Crickmer under the direction of Sir Raymond Unwin,[6] it was dedicated in 1917 and was presented with a signed altar book the following year by King George V and Queen Mary, who were paying an official visit to H.M. Factory, Gretna.
Pictures
Eastriggs, The Commonwealth Village, from the east.
Eastriggs from the west
Dornock and Eastriggs war memorial
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Eastriggs) |
References
- Reprinted one-inch Victorian Ordnance Survey Maps of Scotland (Sheet 6), Annan & Whithorn. 1st edition revised to 1896. Kyle of Lochalsh: Caledonian Maps. ISBN 1-85349-006-7.
- Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (number 85) - 1:50,000 scale (1.25 inches to 1 mile). ISBN 0-319-22685-9.
- Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (number 323) - 1:25,000 scale (2.5 inches to 1 mile)
- Ministry of Munitions of War, (1918). H.M. Factory, Gretna: Description of Plant and Process. Dumfries: J. Maxwell & Son for His Majesty's Stationery Office.
- Stratton, Michael and Trinder, Barrie (2000). Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology. London: E & FN Spon. ISBN 0-419-24680-0.
- Video/DVD, (1994). The Longtown Military Railway. Carnforth: Tele Rail.
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