170 Central Avenue, Gretna

170 Central Avenue, Gretna

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

The houses are brick-built, with two blocks now partially pebble-dashed. Original glazing consists mostly of small-paned sash windows. The inner blocks feature two advanced square bays, while the outer blocks are L-plan with three terminal bays set forward. Original inner doors are paired, with doors and side lights contained within semi-circular arched heads. The buildings have brick end and axial chimney stacks and piended slate roofs.

These rows 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. The piended roofs, prominent chimney stacks, advanced bays, round-arched entrances and small round windows contribute to their architectural interest. The use of red brick is unusual for domestic buildings in Scotland.

The houses were originally built as dormitories for factory workers but were designed to allow conversion into private housing. Built between 1916 and 1918, Gretna township was commissioned by the government to provide accommodation for workers at a nearby munitions factory that stretched for nine miles along the Solway banks and produced Cordite explosives. Thousands of workers were brought in from across Britain and Ireland. The township was planned with green spaces, a wide central street containing shops and community facilities, and curving streets. Besides housing, the township included churches, a dance hall, school and cinema. The factory was dismantled after the war.

Raymond Unwin (1863–1940) was a principal figure in early twentieth-century British town planning, known for his work on Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb. Courtnay M Crickmer (1879–1971) was a London-based architect who served as resident architect for Gretna township and had previously worked with Unwin at Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Many original windows and doors have been replaced with various materials and glazing patterns. Early photographs show the original predominantly small-pane timber sash and case windows.