The church lies on a sandstone ridge at 104 metres (341 ft) above sea level, and it overlooks the city to the west.

St Michael's Church at Greenhill is first recorded in 1190, but the area on which it stands has a much older history.

These remains indicate the site on which St Michael's churchyard now stands was one of the earliest settlement in Lichfield.

[2] Before the church was built, the site served as a significant religious place for burial.

Speculation about the churchyard's large size of 7 acres (28,000 m2) (increased to 9 acres (36,000 m2) in the 20th century) suggested that it had been the burial place of early Christians, victims of a supposed massacre of the followers of the apocryphal Saint Amphibalus.

Its size may merely reflect its function as the principal graveyard for the city and the surrounding areas.

[2] But the oldest remaining parts of the current church date from the 13th century in the form of some masonry in the chancel.

Together with St John's at Wall it forms a group of churches known as the United Benefice.

Weddings, baptisms and funerals also take place at the church as well as a regular Sunday school.