Police Station, 27 High Street, Ayton

The building is a police station located at 27 High Street in Ayton, dated 1880, and possibly incorporating earlier elements, with later additions and alterations. It features an asymmetrical design that forms the end of a terrace. To the left is a six-storey, square-plan clock tower, and to the right is a slightly recessed two-storey, two-bay range, which has a single bay at the first floor. There is also a two-storey wing that projects at the rear, creating a near L-plan layout. The tower and front elevation of the range are constructed from squared and snecked whinstone, with weathered sandstone ashlar dressings. The side and rear are finished with painted harl. The building has a base course in part and a corbelled and castellated parapet on the clock tower. Sandstone quoins are present throughout, along with long and short surrounds to stop-chamfered openings and chamfered cills at the front, while the side features projecting cills.

On the southwest (entrance) elevation, the clock tower is to the left, with steps leading to a boarded timber door that is offset to the left of center. The door has decorative iron hinges and a roll-moulded surround that encompasses a sandstone plaque dated '1880'. There are single windows at the first and second floors, offset to the right and left respectively. A narrow, louvred opening is located at the third floor in the bay to the right of center, with a clock face centered at the fourth floor, and another narrow, louvred opening at the fifth floor, offset to the left of center. The projecting parapet features a square-plan bartizan to the outer right. The adjoining two-storey range, which is slightly recessed to the right, has single windows in both bays at the ground level and a bipartite window centered at the first floor.

The southeast (side) elevation includes a gabled block to the outer left with a blind, single-storey lean-to addition at the ground level and a wallhead stack centered above. To the right is a regularly fenestrated two-storey, two-bay range. The clock tower is offset to the left behind, with a clock face centered between the louvred openings at the upper floors, similar to the previous description, and a square-plan bartizan projecting to the outer left.

The building features plate glass timber sash and case windows, a grey slate roof, and replacement rainwater goods. The southeast elevation has a coped and harled apex stack, along with circular cans. The interior was not seen in 1998.