The nave of Yapton church has aisles with early 13thc. arcades, with stiff-leaf and crocket capitals. There is a tower at the W end of the S aisle. The chancel is large, and entered through a 13thc. arch. The inner arch descends onto fluted consoles of a type that occur within the context of multi-scallop capitals in other W Sussex churches ofc.1200.

Yapton is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. Before 1255 it was a prebend of Arundel's minster church. In 1255 it was appropriated to Sees Abbey in Normandy. The chancel was rebuilt in the late 18thc., and restored in 1902-05. The rest of the church was restored in 1870-71.

The dedication to St Mary is implied by 1555.

Although stated to be of Sussex marble, this font is of a different type of limestone. It probably dates from the mid-12thc., and can be compared with the font at West Thorney.