148 Central Avenue, Gretna

Raymond Unwin and C M Crickmer designed this distinctive housing in 1917 for munitions workers at Gretna. The scheme consists of two symmetrical terraces, each comprising three blocks of four houses, linked by low porches and facing one another across a wide avenue.

The buildings are constructed in red brick, an unusual material for domestic buildings in Scotland at that time. Two blocks are now part pebble-dashed. The original glazing consisted mostly of small-paned sash windows. The inner house blocks feature two advanced square bays, while the outer blocks are L-shaped, with three terminal bays set forward. Original inner doors are paired, with doors and side lights all contained within semi-circular arched heads. The roofs are piended slate with brick end and axial stacks.

These two rows of houses form the central core of Gretna village, designed according to Garden City principles. The buildings line the central street and are well-detailed and distinctive, with piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks and varied decorative details including the advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows adding to their architectural interest.

The town of Gretna was constructed during 1916-18 to provide housing and community facilities for workers at a nearby munitions factory. Built along the banks of the Solway over nine miles, the factory produced Cordite explosives for the British war effort during the First World War. Thousands of workers were brought from around Britain and Ireland, and temporary timber and permanent brick housing was erected to accommodate them. The township was designed with green spaces surrounding the houses, a wide central street with shops and community facilities, and curving streets. Raymond Unwin was the chief designer, with Courtnay M Crickmer as resident architect. The township also included churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema. After the war, the factory was dismantled, leaving only scattered remnants.

The houses were originally built as dormitories for factory workers but designed so they could be converted into private housing. Many original windows and doors have since been replaced with various materials and glazing patterns. Early photographs show the original small-pane timber sash and case window glazing pattern.