156 Central Avenue, Gretna

156 Central Avenue, Gretna

This is a Grade B listed building forming part of the central core of Gretna village, a unique and picturesque settlement designed along Garden City principles during the First World War.

Built in 1917 for munitions workers, the property consists of two symmetrical terraces, each comprising three blocks linked by low porches and facing one another across a wide avenue. Each block contains four houses. The terraces were designed by Raymond Unwin, with C M Crickmer acting as site architect.

The buildings are constructed in brick, with two blocks now part pebble-dashed. The original glazing consisted mostly of small-paned sashes, though many windows and doors have since been replaced with a variety of materials and glazing patterns. The inner house blocks feature two advanced square bays, whilst the outer blocks are L-plan with three terminal bays set forward. Original inner doors were paired, with doors and side lights all contained within semi-circular arched heads. The roofs are piended slate with brick end and axial stacks. The piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks, advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows contribute to the architectural distinctiveness of the properties. The red brick is an unusual material for domestic buildings in Scotland.

The houses were originally built as dormitories for factory workers but were designed to be convertible into private housing. They line the central street through the village and are well-detailed and distinctive.

Gretna township was constructed between 1916 and 1918 to house and provide community facilities for workers of the nearby munitions factory. The factory, which stretched for nine miles along the banks of the Solway, produced Cordite explosives during wartime. The township was designed with green spaces surrounding the houses, a wide central street with shops and community facilities, and other curving streets. Beyond housing, the township included churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema. After the war, the factory was dismantled and only remnants remain.

Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) was a leading figure in early 20th-century British town planning and oversaw the development of Gretna and the neighbouring town of Eastriggs. He advocated high standards of design for social housing and informal planning approaches. He is best known for his planning of Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb. C M Crickmer (1879-1971), a London-based architect, was resident architect for Gretna's design and previously worked with Unwin at Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.