167 Central Avenue, Gretna

167 Central Avenue, Gretna is a grade B listed building forming part of the distinctive munitions workers' housing built in 1917 for the nearby First World War explosives factory.

The building comprises two symmetrical terraces facing each other across a wide avenue. Each terrace consists of three blocks, with each block containing four houses. The blocks are linked by low porches. The houses are built of red brick, an unusual material for domestic buildings in Scotland at this time, with some blocks now rendered with pebble dash. The roofs are piended slate with prominent brick end and axial chimney stacks.

The architectural detailing is distinctive and varied. The inner house blocks feature two advanced square bays, while the outer blocks are L-plan with three terminal bays set forward. The original inner doors are paired, with doors and side lights all contained within semi-circular arched heads. Small round windows feature among the decorative details. The original glazing throughout comprised small-paned timber sash and case windows, though much of this has been replaced with various modern materials and glazing patterns.

The two rows of houses form the central core of Gretna village, designed along Garden City principles by the renowned town planner Raymond Unwin, with C M Crickmer serving as site architect. The buildings line the central street through the village and are characterised by their well-detailed and distinctive design, with the piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks and varied decorative elements contributing significantly to their architectural interest.

Gretna township was built between 1916 and 1918 to house workers at a large munitions factory constructed to produce Cordite explosives for British troops during the First World War. The factory stretched for nine miles along the banks of the Solway. The township was designed with green spaces surrounding the houses, a wide central street with shops and community facilities, and curving secondary streets. In addition to housing, the township included churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema to serve the thousands of workers brought in from across Britain and Ireland.

Raymond Unwin (1863–1940), one of the most important figures in early 20th-century British town planning, was the overseeing architect for Gretna's development and that of the neighbouring town of Eastriggs. He was a strong advocate for high standards of design in social housing and informal planning approaches, and is perhaps best known for his planning of Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb. C M Crickmer (1879–1971), a London-based architect, served as the resident architect for Gretna's design and also worked with Unwin at Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

After the war, the munitions factory was dismantled, with only a few remnants remaining today.