Gretna Green - South Scotland, UK
Posted by: 
denben
N 55° 00.316 W 003° 03.762
30U E 495989 N 6095379
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland located alongside the main town of Gretna near to the border of Scotland with England. It is famous for its runaway weddings since 1754.
Waymark Code: WMNJY5
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/25/2015
Views: 3
Gretna Green is one of the world's most popular wedding destinations, hosting over 5,000 weddings each year in the Gretna/Gretna Green area, and one of every six Scottish weddings.
It has usually been assumed that Gretna's famous "runaway marriages" began in 1754 when Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act came into force in England. Under the Act, if a parent of a minor (i.e., a person under the age of 21) objected, they could prevent the marriage going ahead. The Act tightened up the requirements for marrying in England and Wales but did not apply in Scotland, where it was possible for boys to marry at 14 and girls at 12 with or without parental consent (see Marriage in Scotland). It was, however, only in the 1770s, with the construction of a toll road passing through the thitherto obscure village of Graitney, that Gretna Green became the first easily reachable village over the Scottish border. The Old Blacksmith's Shop, built around 1712, and Gretna Hall Blacksmith's Shop (1710) became, in popular folklore at least, the focal tourist points for the marriage trade. The Old Blacksmith's opened to the public as a visitor attraction as early as 1887.
Inside the Old Blacksmith's Shop, which is accessed through the horseshoe-decorated Lucky Arch, audio-visual displays bring to life the drama of Gretna Green runaway weddings and there is also a fascinating collection of memorabilia and artefacts including letters, telegrams and marriage certificates from those who defied their family by running away to Gretna Green.
Enter the actual room where couples, past and present, get married. Touch the famous Anvil, the symbol of romance in Gretna Green. Legend has it that if you touch the Anvil good fortune in affairs of the heart will be yours.
Hours of Operation:
Open Every Day (Only closed Christmas Day)
9.00 am - 5.30 pm: April and May
9.00 am - 6.00 pm: June to September
9.00 am - 5.00 pm: October to March
Admission Fees for the Gretna Green Story Exhibition:
£3.50 - adults
£2.75 - concessions
Children under 12 years FREE
The coordinates are from the entrance to the Old Blacksmith's Shop Exibition.
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