60B And 60D Annan Road, Gretna

A pair of flats designed by Raymond Unwin with C M Crickmer as site architect, built in 1917 in the Edwardian Renaissance style. The building forms a symmetrical U-plan, with a long principal north-facing elevation containing two storeys and single-storey ranges adjoining each outer south gable.

The north elevation is the principal façade, featuring pedimented narrow central and wide outer gables with blocked cornices. The outer bays have shallow advanced ground-floor Venetian windows, pedimented and architraved main door central windows with small-paned sashes set within shallow recessed vertical panels. The eaves course is finished with a mutule cornice, and axial chimney stacks rise prominently. The six-bay flanks also feature architraved doorways. The building is constructed in red brick with some red ashlar dressings, and is roofed in slate.

The westernmost low wing now serves as a Tourist Information Office.

Situated at a key junction on Gretna village, the building is well-detailed with prominent wide chimney stacks and cornice decoration. The regularly spaced windows and simple classical detailing of the Venetian windows and pedimented door pieces contribute significantly to its architectural interest. The building originally served as the Police Barracks for Gretna village.

Built between 1916 and 1918, this structure is part of the purpose-built town of Gretna, constructed to house and provide community facilities for workers at the nearby munitions factory. During the First World War, the British government commissioned a large cordite explosives factory stretching nine miles along the banks of the Solway. Thousands of workers from across Britain and Ireland were brought in, and both temporary timber and permanent brick housing were erected. The township was designed along Garden City principles, featuring green spaces, a wide central street with shops and community facilities, and curving secondary streets. The chief designer, Raymond Unwin, was appointed by the government, with Courtnay M Crickmer acting as resident architect. In addition to housing, the township provided leisure facilities including several churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema. Following the war, the factory was dismantled, with only a few remnants surviving.

Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) was one of the most significant figures in early twentieth-century British town planning. He oversaw the development of both Gretna and the neighbouring town of Eastriggs, advocating high standards of design for social housing and informal planning approaches. He worked predominantly in England and is best known for his planning of Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

C M Crickmer (1879-1971) was a London-based architect who served as resident architect for the design of Gretna township. He also worked with Unwin at Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.