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Summary

Description

Raymond Unwin; C M Crickmer, (site architect), 1916 for munitions workers. Row of 5 brick-built 2-storey double villas. Each block is symmetrical, roadside elevations mostly 6 (3 + 3) bays (central block, Nos 22, 24 has 8-bay elevation and 1916 datestone), end blocks (Nos 14, 16 and 30, 32) with outer bays shallow advanced with tripartites. Doors/porches in flanks. Segmental-arched ground floor windows. Original glazing small-paned sashes, now (1987) mostly altered; modern canted window to No 28; No 32 now painted; end and shared central axial stacks, ribbed, with decorative brick copes; piended slate roofs.

Statement of Special Interest

This row of five semi-detached houses is a significant part of the picturesque streetscape of the planned town of Gretna. The buildings are of red brick - an unusual residential building material in Scotland - and have some simple yet decorative features in the prominent large chimney stacks and the segmental-arched window openings. Gretna was designed along Garden City principles, which included the use of small groups of housing with accessible green space. The houses here are set back from the pavement each with a private garden and conform to this principle. The gently curving aspect to the street is a key factor in the town planning of Gretna.

Built in 1916-18, the town of Gretna was constructed to provide housing and community facilities for the workers of the nearby munitions factory. The government was concerned during the course of the First World War that there was a lack of ammunition for the British troops, and it commissioned a large munitions factory to be built. This stretched for 9 miles along the banks of the Solway and produced Cordite explosives. Thousands of workers were brought in from around Britain and Ireland to work at the factory and temporary timber and more permanent brick housing was erected to accommodate the builders of the factory and its workers. The township was designed along Garden City lines, with green spaces surrounding the houses, with a wide, central street with shops and community facilities and other, curving streets. The chief designer was Raymond Unwin, with Courtnay M Crickmer acting as the resident architect. As well as housing, the workers and their families required buildings to provide for leisure and the township included several churches, a dance hall, a school and a cinema. After the war, the factory was dismantled and only a few remnants of it remain.

Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) was one of the most important figures in early 20th century British town planning and was the overseeing architect for the development of Gretna and the neighbouring town of Eastriggs. He advocated high standards of design for social housing and informality of planning. He worked predominantly in England and is perhaps best known for his planning of Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

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

Many of the original windows and doors have been replaced with a variety of materials and glazing patterns. The original glazing pattern predominantly consisted of small pane timber sash and case windows, which are apparent in early photographs of Gretna.

Category changed from B to C(S) and Notes and References updated, 2012.

References

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