St Mary's Church in Chute Forest, Wiltshire, England, was built between 1870 and 1871 and consecrated in 1875.[2] It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[3] It was declared redundant on 23 August 1972, and was vested in the Trust on 26 March 1974.[4]
The church was built of knapped flint, brick and tile with a pyramid spire, by John Loughborough Pearson for the Fowle family.[3] At the time there were 188 parishioners.[5] It was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury on 15 August 1872.[6] The nave and aisles are spanned by a single roof.[3] There are encaustic tiles on the raised floor of the chancel.[1]
The roof is of open trussed timber rafters.[2][1] There is a three-stage tower topped with the spire which is a highly visible from the surrounding area.[1][7] The church had six bells cast in 1871 by Mears & Stainbank of Whitechapel Bell Foundry. In 1976 these were removed and rehung in the Church of St Nicholas in Chute.[2][8] The west window includes stained glass by Clayton and Bell a partnership of John Richard Clayton (London, 1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (Silton, Dorset, 1832–95).[9] The west window has glass also from 1914 but in a different style.[1] There is a wall tablet to Frank G. Fowle who died in 1942.[1]
The parish was merged with that of Chute in 1954. The Chute Forest church closed in 1972.[2] An annual service is still held at the church.[10]
