Eastriggs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastriggs |
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 Eastriggs
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| Population | 1,770 (2020) |
| OS grid reference | NY247662 |
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ANNAN |
| Postcode district | DG12 |
| Dialling code | 01461 |
| Police | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Fire | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Eastriggs is a small village in the south of Scotland. It is part of Dumfries and Galloway. The village is about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the River Eden. This river flows into the Solway Firth.
If you travel by road, Eastriggs is 3 km (1.9 mi) east of Annan. It is 19 km (12 mi) east of Dumfries. Gretna is 5 km (3.1 mi) to the west. Carlisle is 17.7 km (11.0 mi) west. Edinburgh is 83.1 km (51.6 mi) to the south. The B721 road goes through Eastriggs. It connects to the nearby A75 road.
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Eastriggs: A Village with History
Eastriggs is in the area of Dornock. It was named after a farm called Eastriggs. Before World War I, there were only a few buildings here. These included some houses, an inn, and a smithy.
The village of Eastriggs was built because of a big need for ammunition during World War I. This was called the "shell crisis" of 1915. The government created a new department. It was called the Ministry of Munitions. This ministry decided to build a large factory. It would make cordite, which is a type of explosive.
The Great War Factory
This factory was officially named H.M. Factory Gretna. It was huge, stretching about 9 km (5.6 mi). It went from Dornock through Gretna to Longtown, Cumbria. Building and running this factory needed many workers. About 30,000 men and women came from all over the British Commonwealth.
Today, you can learn about the factory and its workers. The Devil's Porridge Museum opened in 2014. It is in the village and tells their story.
Building Homes for Workers
Sir Raymond Unwin and Courtenay Crickmer designed homes for the factory workers. These were wooden houses built in Eastriggs and Gretna. To show respect for the workers who came from many different places, the streets were named after cities in the Commonwealth.
How Eastriggs is Governed
Eastriggs is part of a larger area for voting. This area is called Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale. It is for the UK Parliament. A member of parliament (MP) represents the area in London. Currently, David Mundell is the MP. He is from the Conservative Party. He has been the MP since 2005.
Eastriggs is also part of the South Scotland region. This is for the Scottish Parliament. It is in the Dumfriesshire area. A MSP represents this area in Edinburgh. Oliver Mundell is the current MSP. He is also from the Conservatives.
Church of St John the Evangelist
The Church of St John the Evangelist was designed by C M Crickmer. It was built in a style called Gothic. This style looks like old medieval churches. The church was officially opened in 1917.
In 1918, King George V and Queen Mary visited the factory. They gave the church a special book for the altar.
Train Travel in Eastriggs
The Glasgow South Western Line train track goes through Eastriggs. This line connects Carlisle, Gretna Green, and Annan. The Eastriggs railway station is currently closed.
The station was first called Dornock. It was renamed Eastriggs in 1923. It closed in 1963. In 2019, there was talk about reopening the station. People thought it would be good for the local community.
Sports in Eastriggs
Eastriggs F.C. is the village's amateur football team. They play in the DSAFL league.
Gallery
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Eastriggs, The Commonwealth Village, from the east.
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Eastriggs from the west
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Dornock and Eastriggs war memorial
