Description

C E Simmons, dated 1917. Byzantine-style church, all brick-built with pantile roofs; openings mostly round- headed. Aisled Latin cross-plan, with octagonal drum over crossing; paired clerestorey lights; pilaster strips to bays and to upper level of W gable; recessed round-arched blind panels to canted tall apse and flanking W door; twin-gabled "side chapels" abut transepts.

Interior: walls exposed brickwork, aisle arcades with paired arches to bays; plastered vaulted ceilings.

Statement of Interest

The Anvil Hall is a distinctive red brick former Roman Catholic church dominated by its Byzantine octagonal tower. The building is notable for its varied roof heights, with gables, apse and tower and its tight composition. Red brick is the main building material in Gretna, and is an uncommon building material in Scotland, particularly for domestic housing, and also for churches, as here. There is some fine detailing in the brick dentil decoration and detailing around the windows.

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, Raymond Unwin was appointed by the government, 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.

Charles Evelyn Simmons (1879-1952) was a London based architect, who took up an appointment with the Ministry of Health Archtects' Department in 1915. His only known works in Scotland are the Roman Catholic church in Gretna and St Margaret's Church in Eastriggs.

Notes and References updated, 2012.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17804101

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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