163 Central Avenue, Gretna

163 Central Avenue, Gretna

Two symmetrical terraces designed by Raymond Unwin with C M Crickmer as site architect, built in 1917 to house munitions workers. Each terrace comprises three blocks, with four houses per block, linked by low porches and facing one another across a wide avenue.

The buildings are constructed in brick, with two blocks now rendered in pebble dash. The original glazing consists mostly of small-paned sash windows. The inner house blocks each have 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. Brick end and axial chimney stacks rise prominently, and the roofs are piended slate.

These two rows form the central core of Gretna village, a unique development designed along Garden City principles. The houses line the central street and are well-detailed and distinctive, their architectural interest enhanced by the piended roofs, prominent stacks, varied decorative details, advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows. The use of red brick is unusual for domestic buildings in Scotland. The houses were originally conceived as dormitories for factory workers but were designed to allow conversion into private housing.

Built between 1916 and 1918, Gretna township was created to accommodate workers for the munitions factory stretching nine miles along the Solway banks, which produced Cordite explosives. Thousands of workers from across Britain and Ireland were brought in; temporary timber housing and more permanent brick buildings were erected. The township was designed along Garden City lines with green spaces, a wide central street containing shops and community facilities, and curved streets. Besides housing, the development included several churches, a dance hall, a school and cinema to serve workers and their families. The factory was dismantled after the war, with only remnants surviving.

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

Many original windows and doors have been replaced with various modern materials and glazing patterns. Early photographs show the original small-pane timber sash and case windows are no longer apparent in most cases.