The Devil's Porridge

The Devil's Porridge Discover the remarkable story of the Greatest Munitions Factory on Earth and the extraordinary lives Booking to visit the Museum is essential.
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To avoid disappointment and confusion, please book in advance. Open daily from 10am - 4.30pm. Last admission 45 minutes before closing. Please check our website for latest prices and opening hours. ( https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/prices-and-opening-hours )

We have a private car park with coach parking facilities. We are wheelchair friendly with a level access and have a lift to the mezzanine

floor (WW2). We have toilet facilities, including Disabled toilets. We have a café offering a variety of hot food and cold food. Eastriggs and Gretna Heritage Group SCIO. Scottish Charity Number SC031616.

🔮Fake clairvoyants beware! 😂Mabel Alice Read once went undercover to catch out a false clairvoyant and that was after he...
17/06/2026

🔮Fake clairvoyants beware! 😂

Mabel Alice Read once went undercover to catch out a false clairvoyant and that was after her time working in the Women's Police Force at H.M. Factory Gretna... Also, she got a medal.

We're throwing things all the way back to February 2021 and the very first Worker of the Week blog for Mabel Alice Read this week.

In case you haven't come across her story so far it's well worth a read: www.devilsporridge.org.uk/mabelaliceread

Worker of the Week is a series which aims to share the story of someone connected to H.M. Factory Gretna. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped to make this possible, including our awesome research volunteers!

Have you heard about our Cordite Club? 🤔 This is a lunchtime club for local retirees at The Devil's Porridge Museum.We w...
15/06/2026

Have you heard about our Cordite Club? 🤔

This is a lunchtime club for local retirees at The Devil's Porridge Museum.

We were delighted to have our Cordite Club with us earlier today! Thanks to everyone who joined us for this.

This week they had Scotch or Macaroni pie with beans. Plus, a talk about 19th century Crime and Punishment in the local area. Thanks to all who made this possible!

Our next Cordite Club will be on Monday 29th June 2026. 😎 ☀️

If you would like to learn more about our Cordite Club, or if you'd be interested in joining us you're welcome to get in touch! 😀

Did you hear about that time members of H.M. Factory Gretna's Women's Police had a go at acting? 🎭👮‍♀️Constable Hermione...
14/06/2026

Did you hear about that time members of H.M. Factory Gretna's Women's Police had a go at acting? 🎭

👮‍♀️Constable Hermione Feildon wrote and appeared in a performance of "Cheerio Gretna" in May 1917.

According to The Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper at the time, this “was produced in the Border Hall on Saturday evening and again on Monday, by the authoress and a band of colleagues in the lady police force of the factory. The play had a strong local flavour… and it is also rich in fun.”

We're yet to have come across any surviving programmes from this (please do let us know if you ever happen across one! 🤞), but it has left us wondering what key ingredients do you think "Cheerio Gretna" would have needed to have a strong local flavour? 🤔

Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 👇

Did someone say football? ⚽️ Ahead of Scotland’s first World Cup match this year, we would like to introduce you to The ...
13/06/2026

Did someone say football? ⚽️

Ahead of Scotland’s first World Cup match this year, we would like to introduce you to The Mossband Swifts!

The Swifts were formed in the Mossband Section of H.M. Factory Gretna in 1917. One of their early matches was in Maryport, where they took part in Alexander Day Sports Fete. This was a football competition. The Mossband Swifts did… lose 1 - 0 to a Cockermouth team in the first round, but it’s the taking part which counts… and the Cockermouth team did go on to win the tournament. 🏆

Let’s hope for some better results in the football this year... ⚽️ 🤞

If you’re looking for an explosive way to spend your extra Scottish bank holiday, we’re open as usual on Monday and this weekend too! Why not come and visit us? 😃

Photo description: Team photo of The Mossband Swifts women’s football team. They are arranged in three rows and some are wearing On War Service badges. The front row has two women’s football players sitting on the floor with a leather football. This photo was taken in 1917 and has been colourised.

How many strawberries can you spot growing in our Dig For Victory Garden? 🍓 Our gardening volunteers have been doing a f...
12/06/2026

How many strawberries can you spot growing in our Dig For Victory Garden? 🍓

Our gardening volunteers have been doing a fantastic job planting and looking after our garden and plant pots. Currently, our strawberries and herbs are doing well, but there's still lots to look out for growing soon... 👀

Has anyone else been growing strawberries this year? Are yours ready to harvest yet? We think ours still need a bit longer. 🍓

A huge thank you goes to our gardening volunteers!

From H.M. Factory Gretna to ocean liners! ⛴ Lottie Moore worked as a Women's Police Officer at H.M. Factory Gretna and l...
10/06/2026

From H.M. Factory Gretna to ocean liners! ⛴ Lottie Moore worked as a Women's Police Officer at H.M. Factory Gretna and later became a stewardess. She's also this week's Worker of the Week!

Find out more about her life and where she travelled to here:
https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-lottie-moore

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which aims to share the story of someone connected to H.M. Factory Gretna. Thanks to Nigel for researching this one and all our amazing research volunteers who make this series possible. 🙂

Can you remember what we have on Tuesdays? 👀Warhammer Club runs from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesdays, including tonight! ⚔It's fr...
09/06/2026

Can you remember what we have on Tuesdays? 👀

Warhammer Club runs from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesdays, including tonight! ⚔

It's free and all materials are provided to use at The Devil's Porridge Museum. If you're interested in Warhammer, you'd be welcome to come along and join us!

Would you like to see a shoe horn used by King George V? 👀👞 Some relatives of a Elizabeth McGreechan, a H.M. Factory Gre...
08/06/2026

Would you like to see a shoe horn used by King George V? 👀👞

Some relatives of a Elizabeth McGreechan, a H.M. Factory Gretna worker, kindly took the time to share some information about her. They told us that Elizabeth (known as Betty) worked as the forewoman at the factory.

When King George V came to visit H.M. Factory Gretna on 18th May 1917, Betty was given the honour of helping the King change his shoes, due to her position at the factory. Afterwards she was presented with the engraved shoehorn, which can be seen in the second photo.

Betty McGeechan's name was misspelt on the shoe horn, but she still treasured it and it's lovely to see that her family now continue to do so. 💛💛

A huge thank you to them for sharing this with us and allowing us to take and share these photos with all of you.

Has anyone else ever met royalty like Betty? (Not to brag, but Princess Anne officially opened our museum...) Please feel free to share your stories in the comments below. 👇👇

Did you know we also welcome group visits to The Devil's Porridge Museum?Last Sunday, it was fantastic to have a visit f...
07/06/2026

Did you know we also welcome group visits to The Devil's Porridge Museum?

Last Sunday, it was fantastic to have a visit from Dumfries Ladies Burns Club. Thank you very much to them for coming to visit us and sharing these photos!

To start arranging your next group day out to our museum, or to find out more about group visits you'd be welcome to get in touch. 😀

Have you heard that today's the anniversary of the D-Day landings? We thought you might like to see the two D-Day relate...
06/06/2026

Have you heard that today's the anniversary of the D-Day landings?

We thought you might like to see the two D-Day related items we have in our collection. 👀

The first of these is a commemorative pin. The second is a medal that commemorates the 50th anniversary of D-Day and the liberation of France.

Address

Stanfield, Annan Road, EASTRIGGS
Annan
DG126TF

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

01461 700021

Website

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