Gretna is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, originally part of the historic county of Dumfriesshire. It is located close to the A74(M) on the border of Scotland and England and near the mouths of the rivers Esk and Sark. Gretna was built from 1915 and is about 1km south of the older village Gretna Green.
The town is situated east-south-east of Dumfries, east of Annan, north-west of Carlisle, south-east of Glasgow and south of Edinburgh.
History
World War I
HM Factory, Gretna, codenamed Moorside, was a cordite munitions factory built between Gretna Green and the Solway Firth to supply ammunition to British forces during World War I. This developed into the town of Gretna.
1941 bombing
Gretna was bombed on 7 April 1941 by an aircraft that had earlier taken part in a raid near Glasgow. Twenty-eight people were killed.
Transport
Rail
In the 1840s, there were three main railway companies building lines around Gretna, and this resulted in three railway stations named "Gretna". The first station called "Gretna" was opened by the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway on 23 August 1843. The station was renamed Gretna Green railway station in April 1852. The station closed on 10 September 1951. This was later to become the route of much of the A75 road to Stranraer. The original route between Gretna and Annan is now the B721 road, and the A75 diverges significantly from it; similarly, the B724 was the original route between Annan and Dumfries.
The main Anglo-Scottish trunk road running north-south through Gretna was the A74 road. With the opening of the M6 motorway to the south of Carlisle in December 1970, most of the A74 in Scotland was upgraded to motorway, these upgraded sections were renamed the A74(M). The Cumberland Gap was the remaining of non-upgraded dual-carriageway A74 between the northern terminus of the M6 at Carlisle.
In 2008, the six remaining miles were upgraded to a three-lane motorway.
Sport
Gretna was the official home of Gretna Football Club, who played in the Scottish Premier League during the 2007–2008 season. A reformed club, Gretna F.C. 2008 is based in Gretna.
AFC Gretna are the town's amateur football team who like to give local players a chance. The club, based in the nearby Springfield, played in the DSAFL. However, they now play in the Carlisle City Sunday League system.
Border Towns United are another amateur football team in the town, formed in 2022. The club also play in the Carlisle City Sunday League system in the same league as AFC Gretna. They play at the Graitney.
Gretna Green
thumb|St Ninian's RC Church, now a dedicated wedding venue
Nearby Gretna Green, is traditionally associated with eloping English couples because of the more liberal marriage provisions in Scots law compared to English law. Because of this, "Gretna" has become a term for a place for quick, easy marriages.
Shopping
Gretna Gateway Outlet Village is a shopping centre on the east side of Gretna. In 2021, this was renamed Caledonia Park.
Media
Television
Local television news programmes that cover the town are:
- BBC Reporting Scotland broadcasting from Glasgow.
- ITV News Lookaround which broadcast from Gateshead.
- BBC Look North which broadcasts from Newcastle.
Radio
Radio stations are served by:
- BBC Radio Scotland on 94.7 FM
- BBC Radio Cumbria on 95.6 FM
- Greatest Hits Radio Dumfries & Galloway on 103.0 FM
- GFM Radio on app, website and alexa
Newspapers
The local newspaper is The Dumfries Courier which publishes on Fridays.
References
Notes
Sources
- Chatsworth, George (1984). A history of British motorways. London: Thomas Telford Limited. .
- Haldane, A.R.B. (1997). The Drove Roads of Scotland. Edinburgh: Berlinn. .
- Routledge, Gordon L. (1999).Gretna’s Secret War.
- Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (number 85) – 1:50,000 scale (1.25 inches to 1 mile). .
- Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (number 323) – 1:25,000 scale (2.5 inches to 1 mile)
- bbc.co.uk
External links
- Gretna Registration Office
- Civil Parish Historical Tax Rolls for the Civil Parish of Gretna, Dumfriesshire, (Volumes 1-5)