Days Gone By

Gretna's fame is of recent origin in comparison with its ancient history. Romans and Norsemen settled in the district followed by the Angles or English giving Gretna its name, "GRETENHOW", meaning a gravel hill. The river Sark which is crossed on the road from England at the entrance to the village became the boundary between England and Scotland in the reign of Charles 1 (1625-1649).

Many a bloody battle was fought over its soil. In 1376 Gretna was completely destroyed in a battle between the Scots and the English.

Across the Solway from Gretna on Burgh Marsh stands a monument to King Edward 1 where he died on his last attempt to invade and conquer Scotland. Solway Moss near Gretna Junction is the site of the battle in 1542 where the Scottish army of 10,000 men were routed by the English, a disaster which is said to have broken the heart of James V. of Scotland.

In much more recent times it was the scene of another disaster when at Quintinshill on May 22 1915, occurred the worst railway accident in the history of British Railways involving a troop train and three other trains resulting in the loss of 227 lives...

The Solway estuary was a noted spot for smuggling in the eighteenth century. Robert Burns, the Scottish poet at that time an excise officer, was frequently detailed to supervise the unloading of brigs at Gretna. It was while he was on such duty at Gretna that he wrote "The diel's awa wi' the Exciseman."

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