The church stands SE of this N Yorkshire village. The medieval church was demolished and rebuilt with a W tower, nave and chancel in 1821, but elements of a Romanesque doorway were re-installed at the W end.

In 1170 Walter Ingram gave the church of Arncliffe and Welbury to the Augustinian canons at Guisbrough. This grant was confirmed by Henry II in 1182 and by Walter's son c.1186 (Brown 1902, 125-28)

The carving of the cones on the scallop capitals is a slightly unusual variant of a form that is used frequently in this region. This may indicate a relatively early date of c.1150 for their production. Some carved stones of Pre-Conquest style incorporated into the interior walls of the tower suggest the existence of a church prior to the 12thc century.

Little is known about the medieval church. It has been described as simple in form with small dimensions, and a pen and ink drawing of 1718 of Arncliffe Hall shows a church of modest proportions in the background. (VCH, vol. 2, 243)