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Today dawned misty and dull, and pretty much stayed that way with both light rain and the sun making brief appearances.
Nevertheless, after a delicious Cumberland breakfast, I departed Penrith and headed north. As soon as I had crossed the border into Scotland, I turned left to head west along the northern coast of the Solway Firth to my first destination in Eastriggs - The Devil's Porridge Museum. Obviously, as the title suggests, this is a munitions museum.
During WWI, by 1915 our war effort was being hampered by an insufficient amount of munitions. To make matters worse, the papers had got hold of the story. So, the government reacted and looked for an unused site which enemy bombers could not reach, and settled on an area west of Gretna.
The construction of the factory was no small undertaking, but by 1916 it opened and occupied a site 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. It employed 30,000 workers, who needed to be housed with their families, which led to the development of two townships at Eastriggs and Gretna. The government also supplied a hospital, doctors and nurses, schools, a cinema, railways and even took over local breweries to ensure weak beer was served to halt the excesses of the navvies that were building everything. This last activity continued into the 1970s. It produced more cordite than all the other UK factories combined and kept us in the war. However, within a couple of years of the end of the war, the whole factory was closed.
The museum also commemorates the Quintinshill Rail Disaster, which remains the worst rail disaster in the UK. On the 22 May 1915, a crash involving 2 goods trains, a local passenger train, a troop train and an express from London resulted in the deaths of over 200 people. The exact number is still unknown as the fire that raged for over a day meant many couldn't be identified - truly horrific.
So why Devil's Porridge? It was coined by a reporter who visited the factory and witnessed the girls mixing the cordite. The reporter's name was Arthur Conan Doyle.
A short drive up the road brought us to Ruthwell Church, which houses the Ruthwell Cross. This is an 8th century Anglo-Saxon cross.
Just beyond Ruthwell lies the Brow Well, which Robert Burns visited upon the advice of his doctor in July 1796, to take the waters and swim in the Solway Firth. He died just a few days later and, having seen the water, I'm not surprised!
Just a little further along the coast is the striking Caerlaverock Castle (pictured) which is triangular and sits in a moat. It was built at the end of the 13th century to replace one built 200 yards closer to the coast 50 years earlier but was already falling down due to the damp ground upon which it sat.
Following a cheese and ham toastie for lunch at the castle, I ventured into the Caerlaverock nature reserve where the River Nith meets the Solway Firth.
Then Dawnie and I made for the pretty little village of New Abbey, the site of Sweetheart Abbey. Founded in 1273 by Lady Dervorgilla of Galloway. Her husband John Balliol had died 5 years earlier and she'd had his heart embalmed and carried it with her. Upon her death, it was buried with her in the abbey and the monks named it Sweetheart. It is believed this is the origin of the word sweetheart. Her son, also called John, became the puppet King of Scotland after being appointed by Edward I of England.
The village is also home to a working cornmill, though it is not used commercially. Then I was tempted by a caramel shortbread ice cream from the local Galloway Creamery - lush.
Orchardton Tower is the only cylindrical Tower house in Scotland. Now a ruin, it was built by John Cairns in the late 15th century. It's still possible to climb to the top to see the views.
Finally I very briefly stopped at Torthorwald Castle, which has almost completely fallen down.
Having checked into the Dumfries Villa B&B, I walked into the centre to enjoy a battered sausage with cheesy chips and gravy from a local chippy.
Today we drove 122 miles.
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