그레트나 그린(Gretna Green)(2)

그레트나 그린(Gretna Green)(2). 스코틀랜드(Scotland)

gretnagreen.com

 

Gretna Green

In Awe of The Anvil

FOR runaway lovers the marriage anvil was a powerful totem, a symbol of freedom form harsh Engligh laws.

 

Blacksmiths, reinvented as 'Anvil Priests', crashed hammers onto anvils to seal the marriage bond between love-struck couples in a shower of sparks ! This simple ceremony-theatrical and exciting - adding to Gretna Green's unique reputation for red-hot romance.

 

A legend has sprung from the passion that has surrounded this famous anvil... said to bring good fortune in affairs of the heart... go on, touch the anvil, it's worth a try !

 

 

Gretna Green

The Power of Love

LOVE and beatiful rebellion lie at the beating heart of Gretna Green.

 

In 1754, after England banned couples under 21 from marrying without parental permission, love-struck runaways raced north to cross the border with Scotland to get wed over the anvil inside our Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

 

Centuries later, lovers still travel here in their thousands to lie the knot and add to an unbroken thread of romantic history. Many others simply want to touch the famous anvil, which is said to bring good fortune in affairs of the heart... you are here today so give it a try !

 

Gretna Green

The Thrill of The Chase

IN the 18th century eloping couples risked life and limb to escape furious parents and find wedded bliss at Gretna Green.

 

Gretna Green

Flights of Fancy

ALWAYS heart-racing, occasionally tragic and sometimes ludicrous, the adventures of runaways from England to Gretna Green set tonges wagging.

 

The 1818 elopement of Lord Chancellor, Thomas Erskine and his young mistress is particularly farcical. Desperate to conceal his identity, the 66-year-old dragged up in a woman's leghorn bonnet, long veil and flowing cloak. Normally a respectable Regency figure, on his wedding day this former Lord Chancellor resembled a pantomime dame !

 

Their dramatic story is one of many... discover romances, scandals and the sometimes ludicrous events that make up Gretna Green's history by visiting the Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

 

 

Gretna Green

No Stopping Love

IN 1856, after more than 100 years of passinate anvil weddings at Gretna Green, a new tightly-worded English law spread a chill through the romance capital of the world.

 

Lord Brougham's 'Cooling Off' Act ruled that at least one half of a couple had to live in Scotland for 21 days before marrying. Whilst instant anvil wedddings were no longer possible, the determined were not put off and many still made the dramatic journey to Gretna Green, camping out or hiding in barns.

 

Their stories are told inside the Famous Blacksmiths Shop... discover them... you never know, maybe a family member is amongst them !

 

 

Gretna Green

An Act of Faith

THE fortunes of the Famous Blacksmiths Shop were restored after farmer Hugh Mackie bought the Gretna Estate and its Famous Blacksmiths Shop in 1886.

 

By applying some tender loving care to the building he resurrected it as a wedding venue by persuading couples that a pre-wedding three-week residency rule in Scotland should not dampen their enthusiasm for a romantic anvil marriage. Lovers once again began flocking to Gretna Green and Hugh's fourth generation descendants are the proud present custodians of the building.

 

Gretna Green, a name now synonymous with not only romance but the great power of human determination to be with the one you love... sense the feelings and heightened emotions of those who made it here when you visit the Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

 

 

Gretna Green

Happily Even After

TODAY thousands of couples travel to Gretna Green to marry over the legendary anvil inside the Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

 

No longer on the run (usually !) and with a choice of either a religious or civil ceremony, modern weddings are witnessed in comfort by family and friends.

 

Married or singe... be inspired by the events and real-life tales that make up the wonderful tapestry of Gretna Green's past and present ! Visit the Famous Blacksmiths Shop and touch the famous anvil; learn more about a ruly unique story and soak up the atmosphere in this ancient building, which is at the centre of an 'unbroken thread of romantic history'... making Gretna Green the love capital of the world !

 

 

Gretna Green

Love Everlasting...

The enduring romance of Gretna Green has lasted over 250 years

 

Gretna Green becamce a romantic haven for eloping young couples in 1754. England's newly tightened marriage law prohibited couples, under the age of 21 form marrying without approval from their parents. In Scotland it was much easier to marry.

 

Couples began fleeing across the Scottish border to marry in the first building they reached, the Famous Blacksmiths Shop !

It became renowned for on-the-spot weddings and the Blacksmith swapped his role as a forger of metals that join together never to be separated, to a forger of couples joined in marriage, never to be parted. The anvil became the iconic symbol of romance.

 

 

Follow in the footsteps of the many thousands who have married here and arrange the wedding of your dreams... with the power of the anvil bonding two hearts and two lives together, for eternity.

 

Already married ? You may be able to arrange an on-the-spot blessing here today ! Alternatively, you can book in advance an Anvil Blessing or vow renewal experience.

 

To find out more visit the Famous Blacksmiths Shop and our wedding team at Smiths hotel, a short walk from here.

www.gretnagreen.com

 

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