North Lodge And Gate Piers, Ayton Castle

North Lodge and Gate Piers at Ayton Castle date from the late 19th century and feature later additions and alterations. This single-storey, four-bay gate lodge is near rectangular in shape and located to the northeast of Ayton Castle. It has a projecting hipped-roof porch at the front and a hipped roof projection at the rear, which includes a later flat-roofed addition in the rear re-entrant angle. The building is primarily constructed from rubble whinstone, with some squared and snecked sections, and has stugged red sandstone dressings. Notable architectural features include overhanging timber bracketed eaves, raised quoins, long and short surrounds to openings, painted mullions, and projecting cills.

On the southeast (entrance) elevation, there is a blind elevation with a projecting porch offset to the left of center, topped with a decorative finial. Tripartite windows are present in the flanking bays, while a single window is located in the outer right bay. The southwest (side) elevation features the original block with a single window offset to the left of center. The porch is recessed to the outer right and includes a timber panelled door offset to the left, accompanied by a two-pane fanlight. The flat-roofed addition is recessed to the outer left, with a taller hipped projection set behind it, also topped with a decorative finial.

The lodge predominantly has timber sash and case windows, with some lying-pane windows at the front and some modern glazing at the rear. The roof is covered with grey slate and features decorative finials on the southwest and northeast sides. There are corniced, brick-built paired ridge stacks flanking the center, with octagonal cans.

The interior was not seen in 1998. The gatepiers flanking the northern entrance are square in plan and stop-chamfered, made from coursed and tooled red sandstone, and topped with corniced pyramidal caps. The original gates are missing, and there are low, heavily-pointed rubble outer walls.