[2] A Roman fort existed on the site from the 1st century, and some form of church may possibly have been established around the year 200.

[6] In 1094 Roger de Poitou established a Benedictine priory dedicated to St Mary, as a cell of the Abbey of Saint Martin of Sées in Normandy, France.

[3] In 1431 the church was transferred from Sées to Syon Abbey near London after which there was a major reconstruction in the Perpendicular style.

[5] In 1539 this Catholic monastic institution was abolished by Henry VIII and the following year the priory became a parish church.

[10] Between 1868 and 1871 the local architects Paley and Austin restored the chancel, and added a new organ chamber and vestry.

[3][12] A south porch designed by Austin and Paley was added in 1903 and in the same year an outer north aisle with a polygonal apse was built.

It restored to use two redundant instruments, now linked into one scheme played from a single detached console.

The organ in the west gallery was built by Henry Willis for St John's Church, Blackpool in 1915, and the organ in the north choir aisle was built by Harrison and Harrison in 1908 for Blackburn Girls’ School.

[16] The stone base of the font was installed in 1848 and its carved wooden cover is dated 1631.

The stained glass in the east window was designed by Edward Paley and made by Wailes.

The Anglo-Saxon Runic inscription translates to "Pray ye for Cynibald Cuthburuc".

In the churchyard is a sandstone sundial dating from the late 18th century which was restored in 1894 and which is listed at Grade II.