It stands on a rural lane north of the urban area that now surrounds the village, and retains much 11th- and 12th-century structure.

Its most important architectural feature is the Saxon tower topped by a Rhenish helm, a four-sided pyramid-style gabled cap that is uncommon in England.

At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 they were separate manors, but were both held on behalf of William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber.

[3][4] In about 1180,[4] they erected a large chapel—effectively a separate church in its own right until the 19th century, when an arch linked it to the nave and made it a de facto south transept.

[3][6] The church fell into decay during the 18th century, when the living was poor and the villages of Sompting and Cokeham still supported only a small population.

[1] The tower is the most important feature of the church and is known nationally and internationally as an exemplar of Saxon architecture—although recent analysis[3] suggests that its upper stage may have been renewed in early Norman times to an identical design.

The chapel, built at a lower level than the church, is rib-vaulted and has a series of foliated capitals in a style similar to the Corinthian.

[4] The Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin was listed at Grade I by English Heritage on 12 October 1954.

[11] The parish covers Sompting village and the surrounding urban area, as far as the boundaries with Lancing and Worthing; it also extends a long way to the north on to the southern slopes of the South Downs.

[1][12] St Peter the Apostle's Church, a modern brick building in the Lower Cokeham area of Sompting, is within the parish.