Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England.

[3][4] In the 18th and 19th centuries Great Ayton was a centre for the industries of weaving, tanning, brewing, and tile making.

[9] Great Ayton is at the foot of the Cleveland Hills beneath Easby Moor and the distinctively-shaped Roseberry Topping.

The Cleveland Dyke, a narrow band of hard whinstone rock that runs for about 31 miles between Robin Hood's Bay and Eaglescliffe lies to the north-east of the village.

The centre is 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) from the nexus of Redcar and Cleveland, borough of Middlesbrough and the Hambleton districts.

[10]The village is served by Great Ayton railway station on the Esk Valley Line.

In the 1960s, the ‘youth hall’ was built providing the church with facilities for events, activities, meetings and catering.

The new church was designed by DKS Architects and is in red brick with stone details, and a grey tile roof.

[17] The village was the boyhood home of Captain Cook, the British explorer and navigator, who was born in nearby Marton.