Eastriggs

Eastriggs
Eastriggs
Eastriggs shown within Dumfries and Galloway
Population

1,683 [1] (2001 census)

est. 1,790[2] (2006)
OS grid reference NY247662
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town ANNAN
Postcode district DG12
Dialling code 01461
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Eastriggs is a village in the south of Dumfries and Galloway. It has a small number of shops, a restaurant, post office, public house, working men's club and a church. Eastriggs Primary School feeds to Annan Academy.

Geography and administration

Eastriggs is built on generally flat land 10–20 metres above sea level.[3] Annan is about 3 miles (5 kilometres) and Dornock 1 mi (1.6 km) to the west of Eastriggs, and Gretna is about 5 mi (8 km) to the east.[3] They are each about 1–2 mi (2–3 km) north of the mud and sandbanks of the channel of the River Eden, which extends west into the Solway Firth.[3]

Annan, Dornock, Eastriggs and Gretna are located on the B721, which runs parallel with, and is linked to the nearby A75.[3] 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

Situated in the parish of Dornock, in the traditional county of Dumfriesshire, 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.[4] The only other buildings in the area prior to World War I 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.[4]

Wooden house in Eastriggs
(demolished in March 2010)

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.[5]

Officially designated H.M. Factory Gretna, the factory was spread over a 9-mile (14 km) site stretching from Dornock through Gretna to Longtown, Cumbria.[6] This required a huge influx of labour, and 30,000 men and women came from all over the British Commonwealth to serve as construction and factory workers.[7]

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.[8] As a mark of respect for the immigrant workforce, the streets were named after various cities within the Commonwealth.[7]

Landmarks

Church of St John the Evangelist

Church of St John the Evangelist, Eastriggs.

Designed in the Gothic style by C M Crickmer under the direction of Sir Raymond Unwin,[9] the Church of St John the Evangelist 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.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Comparative Population Profile: Eastriggs Locality". Scotland's Census Results Online. 2001-04-29. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  2. ↑ Statistics from the gro-scotland.gov.uk site Archived September 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 3 September 2008
  3. 1 2 3 4 1:50,000 OS map 85
  4. 1 2 Victorian OS Sheet 6
  5. ↑ Ministry of Munitions of War, Preface
  6. ↑ Ministry of Munitions of War, Chapter 2: Water Supply
  7. 1 2 Longtown Military Railway
  8. ↑ Stratton & Trinder (2000)
  9. ↑ Scottish Churches Architectural Heritage Trust Retrieved on 7 September 2008

References

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