The village of Houghton lies between Stockbridge and Romsey, to the W of Winchester. The church, located at the N end of the village, is of flint, partially rendered. It comprises a W bell turret, a nave with N and S aisles, a S porch and a chancel with a S vestry. The S nave arcade dates from c.1200 but earlier carved fragments have been reset in the E wall of the S aisle. In addition, there is a plain round-headed doorway of indeterminate date in the N wall of the N aisle. The Perp font stands on a square Purbeck marble plinth which may have belonged to a 12thc font.

Houghton was a fairly large settlement of 145 households in 1086. Held by the Bishop of Winchester, it was served by the parish church and the chapel of North Houghton.

Restorations, alterations and additions were undertaken in 1875 (by G. G. Scott in chancel) and 1882 (by J. Oldrid Scott in nave and aisles, plus rebuilding of chancel arch).

The fragments reset in the E wall of the S aisle are evidence that the church had 12thc fabric. These were presumably discovered in the course of J. Oldrid Scott's restoration of 1882, when 'several detached remains found in various parts of the church suggest that the original structure was raised in the Norman period' (Hampshire Independent, 2 December 1882, 5). Scott made extensive alterations and repairs to the S aisle, including a new E window.

The early 13thc S aisle has been recorded by CRSBI due to the prevalence of architecturally similar arcades, often including fluted or scallop capitals, in Hampshire. In 1882 it was noted that the piers were originally surrounded by stone seats which had been cut away (Hampshire Independent, 2 December 1882, 5).