By the end of the 18thc., the church of St Mary Magdalene had a single nave with side aisles and a W tower. In the 19thc., the N and S aisles were removed and a new nave added onto the N side, the older nave separated from it by a pseudo-medieval arcade. The W tower was rebuilt in 1900-1. The S nave doorway, now inside a wooden porch, survives from the late 12thc. A few small sections of exterior S wall may survive from the medieval church, including a head carved protruding on a quoin at the the SW corner of the nave.

Broughton-in-Furness appears never to have been large. It has been suggested that the reference to Borch in Domesday Book could refer to Broughton, held by Earl Tostig as part of his lordship of Hougun. In about 1160, Broughton-in-Furness may have been part of the partition of Furness Fells, with William de Lancaster giving or confirming it to Ailward de Broughton. Simon de Broughton appears later in the 12thc, the family line continuing thereafter. There is, however, no known exisiting reference to the church, itself, until 1547.

Comparisons can be made with certain carved work at Furness Abbey, about 15 miles away. These include the large plain areas at the top of the waterleaf capitals, plain upper-corner discs, and incised lines creating rings where the broad leaves meet. An example of the latter, which shows a single ring, is found carved on a capital imbedded at the eastern end of the S nave arcade. The rest of the nave arcades there no longer remain. The W base of the S doorway at Broughton also bears resemblance to some of the abbey bases.

A simple human head carved on an exterior stone is not unique to Broughton. The significance and range of dates for these are uncertain.