Built largely of Portland stone, the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England have described the church as a "remarkably consistent and unchanged 15th-century design".

[4] Overlooking the Isle of Portland and Chesil Beach, the tower of the church was a prominent landmark for vessels during the age of sail.

The ship sank in Weymouth Bay in 1805 after striking the Shambles Sandbank off of the Isle of Portland.

Other improvements included the installation of a new pulpit and reading desk, and the removal of the church's gallery, which involved moving the organ to a platform under the tower.

[7] The church reopened on 11 December 1859, with the morning sermon being preached by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Rev.