27-29 Canberra Road, Gretna

Built in 1916-17, this row of three semi-detached double-villa blocks was designed by Raymond Unwin with Courtnay M Crickmer as site architect. The buildings are constructed in red brick, a distinctive choice for residential Scottish architecture, and arranged in a symmetrical layout with low wings linking the blocks.

The central block features two inner doors with octagonal outer lights at ground floor level. The flanking ranges on either side have round-headed doorways set in stepped reveals, each contained within shallow projecting full-height bays. The southernmost block has been pebble-dashed and fitted with modern glazing. All blocks retain their brick band courses and hexagonal window openings as decorative features, along with chimneys and slate roofs.

The houses form a significant part of the planned town of Gretna, which was designed along Garden City principles. Each dwelling is set back from the pavement with a private garden. The gently curving street alignment reflects the town planning philosophy of the development.

Gretna was constructed in 1916-18 to provide housing and community facilities for workers at a nearby munitions factory that stretched nine miles along the Solway banks and produced Cordite explosives during the First World War. Thousands of workers were brought in from across Britain and Ireland. The township included temporary timber housing and permanent brick structures, alongside churches, a dance hall, school, and cinema. The chief designer Raymond Unwin advocated high standards for social housing with informal planning layouts. After the war, the factory was dismantled and only scattered remnants survive.

The original glazing predominantly comprised small-pane timber sash and case windows, as documented in early photographs. Many original windows and doors have since been replaced with various modern materials and glazing patterns.