You may associate the name Gretna with weddings, but this is also the name of a nine-mile-long cordite factory built in 1915.
The construction was top secret and completed in months. Workers, mostly women, came from all over the UK and were housed in the new towns of Gretna and Eastriggs. The work they did was highly dangerous but made a major contribution to the war effort: by 1917, the factory was producing 800 tons of ammunition per week.
David Skillen’s talk to Retford and District Historical and Archaeological Society on Tuesday 14th May will look closely at the fascinating history of the factory and the people who worked there. Preceding this talk, the society will hold their AGM, which will be completed promptly. This is the last lecture of the current programme. The programme for 2025-26 will start on Wednesday 10th September with a talk about the Three Field System at Layton.
All meetings are held in the Chapelgate Hall, situated behind Grove Street Methodist Church, and commence at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome, and non-members are charged £3.00 per meeting.