The church was built to the designs of the architect Thomas Gardner for the residents of Richard Arkwright’s mill in Cromford.

In the mid-19th century the church was completely redesigned and extensively “Gothicised” in 1858–59 by Henry Isaac Stephens.

The new church retained the wide proportions, Georgian nave and a new apsidal chancel and tower were added.

The windows were remodelled and an exterior crenelated parapet and new roof added.The Historic England summary states that the church features a "wide nave with lower and narrower chancel, west tower flanked by gallery stair turrets and with west narthex" and that the exterior is "in a lavish free Perpendicular style".

[1] The wall paintings were executed by Alfred Octavius Hemming in 1898, when six tubular bells for the tower were added, and new stained glass was inserted.