Gretna Green was the first village a runaway couple would come to after crossing the border and as a result the local blacksmiths began combining the ‘heat of the forge’ with ‘heat of the moment’ marriages and became known as ‘anvil priests’. All that was required was a declaration before two witnesses and almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. The Old Smithy at Gretna Green plays host to a Mousehole anvil, used not only for smithing but also as a ‘marriage anvil’ upon which eloping couples could be married under Scottish Law without their families’ consent. They were awarded a Gold Medal at the 1851 Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace – an achievement the management were keen to display in all their advertising! Mousehole Anvils come with quite a formidable reputation and pop up in some interesting and unexpected places. They are arranged in the middle of the workshop floor and are at the heart of everything we do. ![]() Three of the anvils in our workshop bear their distinctive corporate mark – a mouse followed by the word ‘hole’.
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