The Devils Porridge — Attraction in Scotland

This is a thoroughly informative and interesting museum about munitions factory HM Factory Gretna during WWI. There are exhibitions about life in the trenches in WWI, The Worst Rail Disaster in British History at Quintinshill, State Management of Alcohol, Life in the Townships, The Women's Police Service, 1940s House, RAF Annan, Bombing of Gretna in 1941, Land Girls and Broom Lassies and Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station and all of these exhibitions are told over two floors with WWI and the munitions at HM Factory Gretna being on the ground floor and WWII being on the first floor. All of the exhibitions are laid out and displayed in an easy to understand way and also the exhibitions are tell the stories and what life was like for the people in a very interesting and informative way. One of the most impressive aspects of the exhibitions is the two large pans used to make the cordite and also it explains the process of how it was made in an interesting way along with how its infamous name 'The Devils Porridge'. You can also hear some interesting and thought provoking audio accounts from child evacuees who came from Glasgow to the local area and also details informatively how Women became involved in the War Effort in WWI and how the munitions factory came into being and what life was like inside and outside the factory. There are lovely exhibits such as medals, documents and also photographs on view to see giving you a better insight into what life was truly like. There are some interesting features outside the museum such as the Andersen Shelter, Sir James the Fireless Locomotive and the Animals at War Memorial with Sir James being the best feature with it being beautifully displayed with its imaginative and spectacular colouration along with being in such a great condition for an engine that transported the cordite over the English Border to another HM Factory. There is a cafe with a nice range of refreshments at reasonable prices and also there is a gift shop with a nice range of souvenirs at decent affordable prices. The staff are also very friendly and helpful giving you a warm welcome and also telling you what is there is to see. Overall this is a fantastic and fabulous informative museum about munitions and how Women played their part in the War Effort and also a very...

This was another new find for us. I love that we are still finding new places to visit! I knew the term "Devil's Porridge", but I'd never heard of the museum or the munitions factory. The museum is within a very modern building just a short drive from Gretna. The visit began outside, we chose to have lunch at one of the picnc benches, then my boys chose to climb aboard 'Sir James' and read the various inscriptions and monuments outside. There is also a little Anderson shelter around the back. Once inside, the staff were really friendly and appraoched us, providing the kids with a quiz. There are two floors to explore and a one way system in place. We thought we would be in and out in less than an hour, but we all really got into the story of it all. We read everything, we looked at the archive of images and the kids played dress up too! I will say that I thought I knew more about this period of war than I did and I had no idea how important sites like this had become and how the massive female workforce helped to win the first world war. It's not expensive, but I'd not say that it's the cheapest place to visit either, and it's not local to most of us, but it's worth the drive and the slight expense. This is a history and heritage that shouldn't be forgotten. Make the trip, it's worth it. Some things to note: There is a car park, but it's not large and while we were there, it was full. Around the back, there is a fantastic little cafe that we'd have missed had the staff not told us. The decor inside is very Rennie Mackintosh and tastfully done, the cakes and coffee are lovely, as was the lady who served us, then sat and chatted with us. Unfortunately, you cannot visit the actual munitions site, it is still MOD property, locked up and...

We had seen the story of the cordite factory on an old episode of the BBC series coast so were intrigued to find the museum. I had imagined that it would be tucked away in an old brick building but it is in a modern steel building which throws you a bit but is absolutely fit for purpose. We arrived on a wet, blustery afternoon but the staff could not have been more welcoming and informative. Our family of five all had a bit of prior knowledge but we still spent over two hours there, learning plenty. The museum is not just modern in looks but in approach and is quite interactive, although some of this is limited due to covid restrictions. Like other museums we have visited this year The Devils Porridge has made a real attempt at putting in place measures to combat the threat of Covid and I would wholehearted support the work they are doing. We five age range from 55 to 13 and we all gave it a big thumbs up not just about the massive 9mile factory but local history including the tragic Quintinshill rail disaster. One small thing is the sheer size of the old work means that you sometimes see bits of the works out and about and not realise that it is a bit of history. For example we had lunch in Greta and did not know it was the old doctors house with the factory hospital opposite. We could have done with map covering the whole site....maybe there is and we missed it. Just a thought but we really enjoyed our visit and a big thank you to the staff waiting for us to...