St Mary the Virgin's Church, Ayston

St Mary the Virgin's Church, Ayston
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Ayston Location in Rutland
Coordinates: 52°35′59″N 0°43′57″W / 52.5997°N 0.7325°W / 52.5997; -0.7325
OS grid reference	SK 860 010
Location	Ayston, Rutland
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Status	Former parish church
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	10 November 1955
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	12th century
Completed	15th century
Specifications
Materials	Stone, tile roof

St Mary the Virgin's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Ayston, Rutland, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

The church dates from the 12th century, and much of its surviving fabric is from the 13th century. The oldest material, dating from the 12th century, is at the northwest corner of the church. The north aisle and arcade were built in the 13th century, followed by the south aisle, which was probably rebuilt and widened in the following century. The tower was also built in the 14th century, and about this time the clerestory was added. In the 15th century the chancel was rebuilt, new windows were inserted in the south aisle, and the porch was built. By the early 21st century the size of the congregation worshipping in the church had dwindled and it was considered that it was no longer sustainable. The final regular service in the church was held in 2012. The church was declared redundant on 1 June 2012, and vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 10 April 2014.

St Mary's is built in rubble stone and has tiled roofs. It consists of a nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower has corner buttresses, paired bell openings, and an embattled parapet. Its west window contains Decorated Y-tracery. In the north aisle is a lancet window. The other windows are Perpendicular in style; along the aisles and clerestory they have two or three lights, and the east window has five lights.