Chellaston is a suburb on the southern edge of Derby, approximately 5 miles from the city centre. The village is famous as the centre of the alabaster industry, which reached its peak in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church stands in the village centre and consists of a nave with a 3-bay S aisle, a chancel with a Lady Chapel to the S, open to the aisle, and a W tower. The nave and S aisle date to the early 14thc; the chancel was rebuilt in the 15thc, when the aisle was also extended by a bay, as shown by the survival there of a disused 14thc piscina and aumbry on either side its original E end. There was a restoration in 1884, and this may have been when the E extension of the S aisle became a vestry and organ room, accessed from the chancel by an arcade of one wide bay and a narrow one. The tower was rebuilt in 1842, and either then or in 1884 the tower arch was removed and the W nave wall closed off with irregular ashlar blocks, leaving only a small doorway as access to a vestry on the ground floor to the tower. Among this blocking are two badly-preserved stones carved with pre-Conquest interlace. The only Romanesque feature here is the font, resited alongside the W vestry doorway from its earlier posiition alongside the N doorway.

Before the Conquest the manor was held by Wulfsige, and in 1086 it was held by Amalric under Henry de Ferrers. It was assessed at 4 bovates. The King also held 1½ carucates in this manor. According to Cox, the church was given at an early date to the Bishop of Carlisle, to be held in conjunction with Melbourne. Melbourne seems to have held a superior position, in that Chellaston had no vicar of its own but was served by a chaplain appointed by the Vicar of Melbourne.

There is no evidence in the fabric to suggest that the nave is earlier than the S aisle; both appear to be early-14thc work, which is at least unusual. The presence of the piscina and aumbry in the aisle is especially puzzling. One hesiitates to suggest that this was the original nave, and there is not enough original fabric remaining to test this theory. However, both Hartwell and Cox date both nave and aisle to the years around 1300, Cox's suggestion of c.1320 fits the piscina well and is accepted here. The List Description is far too brief and contains no useful information. The font should be compared with that at St Helen's, Darley Dale in its general shape.