Ayr Sheriff Court

Robert Wallace, 1818-22; later pavilions to rear; adjoins County Buildings to rear (see separate list description). 2-storey, basement and dome, 11-bay (grouped 4-3-4) classical Courthouse to W elevation of Wellington Square. Polished ashlar; channelled at ground floor. Base course; dividing band course; 1st floor cill course; cornice; balustraded parapet. Round-arched keystoned ground floor windows; corniced, architraved 1st floor windows (no cornices to 3 central windows).

Robert Wallace, 1817-22, with slightly lower pavilions to north and south by John Murdoch, 1863 (south) and circa 1874 James Maitland Wardrop (north). 2-storey, basement and dome, 11-bay, symmetrical, Classical court house overlooking Wellington Square to east with central advanced, pedimented tetrastyle Ionic portico. Polished ashlar, channelled at ground, with base course, band course, cill course, cornice and balustraded parapet. The end bays are slightly advanced and a central lanterned dome rises above the balustrade. There are round-arched, key-stoned ground floor windows and consoled corniced windows to first floor. There is a central part-glazed 2-leaf entrance door with architraved doorpiece. There are blank niches flanking the entrance door and to end bays at ground floor.

The north and south elevations are both 2 storey, 8 bays with later advanced 3-bay sections to west. Pilasters divide ground floor bays to later sections.

Predominantly 6-over 6-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Some decorative cast iron rainwater goods.

The interior, seen in 2014, is arranged around a large, square-plan central hall with a spiral staircase rising around a massive stone newel with an elaborate bronze tripod at apex and with a coffered dome above with an ocular light. Around the stair on lower and upper levels there are a number of round-arched niches and timber panelled doors, some with decorative consuled cornices. Courtrooms 1 and 2 are entered from this central hall on the first floor. Both courts are rectangular in plan and have clerestorey lighting, some consuled cornices over the central doors and compartmented ceilings with lantern lights. Courtroom 1 has an armorial stained glass lunette panel above the bench with flanking round-arched single windows and with pilasters delineating bays. There is an Ionic column upper order to sides of the court. There are niches to east end bays. Courtroom 2 has a semi-circular fanlight over the bench and there are flanking double pilasters with an anthemion detail to cornice. There are distinctive niches to the upper level outer bays of sides with deep decorative aprons. Some rooms to ground with vaulted groin vaulted ceilings; other rooms with decorative cornicing and fire surrounds. Room with decorative coffered ceiling with large lantern light.

Low coped boundary wall to east, north and south with iron railings. Pairs of square-plan gatepiers surmounted with decorative metal vases.