157 Central Avenue, Gretna

157 Central Avenue, Gretna is a Grade B listed building forming part of the central core of Gretna village. Designed by Raymond Unwin with C M Crickmer as site architect, the building was constructed in 1917 to house munitions workers.

The structure comprises two symmetrical terraces, each containing three blocks with four houses per block. The blocks are linked by low porches and face one another across a wide avenue. The buildings are constructed in brick, with two blocks now part pebble-dashed. The original glazing consisted predominantly of small-paned timber sash and case windows, though many have since been replaced with various materials and glazing patterns.

The inner house blocks feature two advanced square bays, while the outer blocks are L-plan with three terminal bays set forward. Original inner doors are paired, with doors and side lights all contained within semi-circular arched heads. Brick end and axial chimney stacks rise prominently, and the roofs are finished in slate with piended form. The piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks, advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows contribute distinctive architectural character. The use of red brick is unusual for domestic buildings in Scotland.

These houses form part of the unique and picturesque village of Gretna, designed along Garden City principles between 1916 and 1918. The township was built to provide housing and community facilities for workers at the nearby munitions factory, which stretched for 9 miles along the Solway banks and produced Cordite explosives. The houses were originally designed as dormitories but constructed in such a way that they could be converted into private housing after the war. The township was planned informally with green spaces, a wide central street containing shops and community facilities, and curving streets elsewhere. Beyond housing, the township included several churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema.

Raymond Unwin (1863–1940) was a leading figure in early 20th-century British town planning, known for his advocacy of high design standards in social housing and informal planning principles. He is perhaps best known for planning Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb. C M Crickmer (1879–1971) was a London-based architect who served as resident architect for Gretna township design and also worked with Unwin at Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.