The Devil’s Porridge Museum (2025)

Tells the secret story of the greatest munitions factory on Earth. The Devil's Porridge was the explosive paste which workers at HM Factory Gretna made into ammunition for British troops.

Contacts

Address: Nr Stanfield Farm Annan Road Eastriggs Dumfriesshire DG12 6TF

Telephone: 01461 700 021
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: View website

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Open Days & Times

Daily 1000-1700, Sun closes 1600. (Closed – Museum/Cafe at Christmas this year.) Visit website for more details and advance booking.

Travel

By Bus: 79
By Rail: Gretna Green / 3.6 miles

Facilities

Parking
Refreshments
Souvenir Shop
Full disabled access

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And the munitions workers who came here from throughout the Empire to support the war effort in the First World War.

Explores the stories of the Solway Military Coast during the Second World War and beyond. The museum uses artefacts, information panels, film and audio, photographs and oral histories to bring the fascinating history of this Border area to life!

Almost 12,000 females, predominantly young women had travelled from across Britain to do their bit for the war effort at Gretna. They were employed to manage the process from mixing the highly volatile ‘devil’s porridge’ paste through to producing the finished cordite propellant, destined for the shell-filling factories. Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle coined the phrase ‘the Devil’s Porridge’ after visiting as a War Correspondent and witnessing the Gretna Girls mixing this dangerous mixture.