28, Finkle Street

No. 28 Finkle Street is a fire engine house with registrar's offices above, built in 1838 for the Borough Council and now serving as shops with offices above. The building is constructed of squared rough dressed limestone in graduated courses, with a slate roof. It has a rectangular plan that runs parallel to the street, featuring an entrance to the offices on the first floor at the rear. The structure is three storeys tall with an attic and has three symmetrical windows, along with a plinth and a first-floor band that encircles the building.

The ground floor, which was originally the fire engine house, has three wide elliptical-arched wagon entrances. The right entrance has imposts, while the others, including a round-headed doorway between them, are now rendered. All archways have been glazed as shop windows and are fitted with 20th-century canopies. The upper floors feature restored 8 over 12 small paned sash windows, with flat arched heads on the first floor and raised sills with stone lintels on the upper floor. There is a gable chimney on the left and a ridge chimney offset to the right of centre. The right gable wall includes a doorway and window at ground level, along with a small lunette in the attic.

At the rear, there is a central doorway leading to the former registrar's office, accessed by dog-legged steps and a stone deck protected by spearhead railings. The doorway features raised square cut jambs and lintel, chamfered imposts, and a recessed door. The fenestration at the rear is similar to that at the front, but the sashes are unhorned and appear to be original.

Inside, the registrar's office is located in the centre of the first floor, with a former waiting room to the west and a former strong room to the east. The strong room is fireproofed with a cast iron door, has a stone flagged floor, and slate shelving. There is a curved staircase leading to the second floor.

This building was erected in the first year of the Civil Registration of births, deaths, and marriages and forms a group with No. 2 Police Yard to the rear, which contains a former lock-up.