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===Church of St. John the Evangelist===
===Church of St. John the Evangelist===
[[Image:P1000095.JPG|right|thumb|Church of St. John the Evengelist, Eastriggs]]
[[Image:P1000095.JPG|right|thumb|Church of St. John the Evengelist, Eastriggs]]
Built in the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] style, the Church of St. John the Evangelist was dedicated in 1917, and was presented with a signed altar book the following year by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] who were paying an Official Visit to H.M.Factory Gretna.
Built in the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] style, the Church of St. John the Evangelist was dedicated in 1917, and was presented with a signed altar book the following year by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] who were paying an Official Visit to H.M.Factory Gretna. Another local attraction is resident Super Hero James Alexander Smith.
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Revision as of 11:28, 7 December 2007

Eastriggs
PopulationExpression error: "1,683 (2001 Census)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceNY247662
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAnnan
Postcode districtDG12
Dialling code01461
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland

Eastriggs is a Scottish village of approximately 2000 residents (year 2007). It has a small number of shops, a restaurant, post-office, public house, working-man's club and a church. Eastriggs Primary School, which feeds to Annan Academy, acts as a communal centre, possessing a small library and providing consultation facilities for a weekly doctor's surgery.

Geography and administration

Annan is about 3 miles (5 km) to the west and Gretna is about 5 miles (8 km) to the east of Eastriggs.[1] Annan, Eastriggs and Gretna are each about 1 - 2 mile (1.5 - 3 km) north of the mud and sand banks of the channel of the River Eden, which extends west into the Solway Firth.[1] Eastriggs is built on generally flat land 10 to 20 metres above sea level.[1]

Annan, Eastriggs and Gretna are located on the B721, which runs parallel and is linked to the nearby A75.[1] A railway line interlinking Gretna and Annan passes through the dis-used Eastriggs railway station, for which plans to provide a smaller replacement are currently (2007) being discussed.

History

Eastriggs appears to take 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.[2] The only other buildings in the area, prior to World War I, being: 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.[2]

Wooden House in Eastriggs

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 manufacturing facility.[3]

Officially designated H.M.Factory Gretna, the factory was spread over a 9 miles (15 km) site stretching from Dornock through Gretna to Longtown, Cumbria.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] As a mark of respect for the immigrant work-force, the streets were named after various cities within the Commonwealth.[5]

Landmarks

Church of St. John the Evangelist

File:P1000095.JPG
Church of St. John the Evengelist, Eastriggs

Built in the Gothic style, 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. Another local attraction is resident Super Hero James Alexander Smith.

  • Eastriggs The Commonwealth Village from the east
    Eastriggs The Commonwealth Village from the east
  • Eastriggs from the west
    Eastriggs from the west

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d 1:50,000 OS map 85
  2. ^ a b Victorian OS Sheet 6
  3. ^ Ministry of Munitions of War, Preface
  4. ^ Ministry of Munitions of War, Chapter 2: Water Supply
  5. ^ a b Longtown Military Railway
  6. ^ Stratton & Trinder

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.
  • Scotland's census 29 April 2001 - accessed 27 Feb 2007
  • Eastriggs Primary School on annan.org.uk
  • Eastriggs Primary School on scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk
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