160 Central Avenue, Gretna

Two symmetrical terraces of brick-built housing designed by Raymond Unwin with C M Crickmer as site architect, completed in 1917 for munitions workers. Each terrace comprises three blocks of four houses, linked by low porches and facing one another across a wide avenue.

The inner house blocks are distinguished by two advanced square bays, while the outer blocks adopt an L-plan form with three terminal bays set forward. Original inner doors are paired, with doors and side lights all contained within semi-circular arched heads. The buildings feature brick end and axial stacks with piended slate roofs. Original glazing consisted predominantly of small-paned timber sash and case windows, though many have since been replaced. Two blocks are now part pebble-dashed, while the remainder retain their original red brick, an unusual material for domestic buildings in Scotland.

These two rows form the central core of Gretna village, a unique settlement designed along Garden City principles. The buildings line the central street and are well-detailed and distinctive, with piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks, advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows contributing to their architectural interest.

The town was built between 1916 and 1918 to house workers for the nearby munitions factory, which stretched nine miles along the banks of the Solway and produced Cordite explosives. Thousands of workers were brought from across Britain and Ireland, requiring both temporary timber and permanent brick housing. The township was planned with green spaces, a wide central street accommodating shops and community facilities, and curving streets, overseen by Raymond Unwin with Crickmer as resident architect. Supporting facilities included churches, a dance hall, school and cinema. The houses were originally designed as dormitories but constructed so they could be converted to private housing. After the First World War ended, the factory was dismantled. Many original windows and doors have been replaced with various materials and glazing patterns.