History
Situated 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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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. As a mark of respect for the immigrant workforce, the streets were named after various cities within the Commonwealth.
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