The small church stands in an orchard-like acre, approached up a driveway between two houses. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1876-7 from reused materials; the tower is ‘Perp’. The original fabric is said to have been mostly boulders, that is, cobbles from the beach.

Skipsea castle, Grid Ref. TA 162 551, one mile south, was a motte and bailey castle built soon after the Conquest, it is said by Drew de Bevrère (Butler 1984). There was an attempt to establish a port for it, but the recession of the coast line did not allow much time for growth. The castle was disused by the early 13^th century (VCHER VII, 383-4 with map of site; Pevsner & Neave, 686-7, pl. 10; English 1979, 210-11, pl. 1; Poulson I, 458-9 with plate).

After 1066, lands held by Thorkil and Thorsten passed to Drew de Bevrère, and were later part of the Aumale fee. In 1076, Erenbald held it. Adelin, then his son Ralph, of Ulrome (c.1150-70) were tenants of Aumale, the rent soon after this date being assigned by the count to Bridlington Priory. The Fauconberg and Brus families also held land (VCHER VII, 384-5).

Historically, Ulrome lay part in Skipsea parish, part in Barmston parish; it was a chapelry which served areas in both parishes. A chapel had been built at Ulrome, perhaps by the Ulrome family, by 1226 (VCHER VII, 374).

Poulson describes ‘Ulram’ chapel as having ‘walls constructed by stones gathered from the sea shore, which by a strong cement, make the building durable. The higher portion of the tower, which stands at the west end, is composed of brick and finished with stone coping… The entrance door-way is circular-headed: a similar door-way, now filled up with bricks, may be seen on the north side. On Sunday, Sept. 27^th 1778, a great part of the chancel was blown down, but was renewed the same year.’ The section on Ulrome starts with an initial U, behind which is an engraving of the chapel; it has a west tower and nave and chancel in one, with a south porch (1840, 228). Windows shown in the initial and those Poulson describes are square-headed. ‘The font is a large circular basin on a short octagon shaft.’ (Poulson 1840, I, 238-9).

‘Two circular-headed doorways, perhaps of the 13th century, and a 15^th-century window then remained in the ‘churchwardenized’ building; one of the doorways and the window have since been reused’ (VCHER VII, 402).

Poulson (1840, 238-9) describes two circular-headed doorways (see History), and it is possible they were used back to back, and renewed, for the present entrance (see illustration of font).

However, Sir Stephen Glynne visited in 1867, and says ‘the south doorway has an obtuse arch’ (Butler 2007, 416).