The original parish of South Stoneham covered over 8,000 acres (32.37 km2; 12.50 sq mi) and extended along the eastern side of the River Itchen from the site of the present day Eastleigh in the north to just above Northam Bridge in the south, and from Swaythling to the outskirts of the original town of Southampton on the western side of the river, and included the tithings of Allington, Barton, Pollack, Shamblehurst, and Portswood.

[4] The living at South Stoneham then became the gift of the rector of St. Mary's, Southampton, who held the right of presentation until the early 20th century.

[2] The church is built of stone with a tiled roof, with a chancel, nave, two aisles, two small transepts and a west tower.

[2][4] Over the west doorway, which is a modern imitation of twelfth-century work[4] is a niche, probably designed for a statue of the Virgin and Child.

[3] The boundary wall to the churchyard on the north side, which adjoins South Stoneham House, is a Grade II listed building.

[3]People buried in the graveyard include: The church consists of the chancel and nave with small north and larger south transepts.

The south transept opens to the nave by a tall arch with an imitation of 12th century detail, and is of modern date.

[4] The gallery contains a small manual organ built in 1857 by J. W. Walker & Sons; and there is also a "dumb organist" made at the same time, apparently one of only two or three in existence; when placed across the keyboard, hymn tunes could be played by turning a handle.

[2][12] The font at the north-east of the nave, is of Purbeck marble and dates from about 1180;[2] it has a square bowl having four round-headed arches on each face enclosing wedge-shaped objects in relief.

[14] The Dummer family crypt lay beneath the church, but was prone to flooding from the nearby River Itchen.

[15] The church has some of the finest silver in Southampton, the earliest a cup of 1630;[2] also a bible of 1572 and a shepherd's crook reputed to be more than 300 years old.

[16] The church is also home to the University of Southampton portable campanile – this consists of 12 bells cast by Richard Bowditch and Matthew Higby in 1999.

The work is needed to correct mistakes made during a previous restoration effort 100 years ago, when Victorian builders repointed the medieval stonework.