Dibden is a village on the W side of Southampton Water on the N outskirts of Hythe. Dibden was formerly an extensive parish on the NE edge of the New Forest, with farms scattered around a central village core. This state of affairs has been overtaken by the growth of Hythe and Dibden Purlieu, and although the core still remains, around the church, Church Farm and the site of the old manor, it no longer forms a unified village centre. All Saints’ was bombed in 1940 and restored in 1955 by Pinckney and Gott. The restoration necessitated the replacement of the nave, but the 1884 tower and medieval chancel remain. The church now consists of a nave with a S porch, a W tower, and a late-13thc chancel with tall blind arcading on the interior to N and S. The only Romanesque feature is the Purbeck marble font.

Eling was held by Ketil in 1066, when it was assessed at 5 hides, and by Oda in 1086, when its valuation was only 2 hides, since 3 hides had been taken into the New Forest. No church was noted at this time but there was a salt-pan and a fishery.

In the 12thc the overlordship was held by Reynold de St Valery (d.1166) and then his son Bernard (d.1190). Dibden descended through the female line to Robert, Count of Dreux, and eventually fell into royal hands, being given to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, Henry III’s younger brother. The tenancy was split into three manors, one of which was rented by Reynold de St Valery to Edmund and Nicholas de Dibden in the time of Henry II. It stayed with the Dibdens until the death of Thomas de Dibden some time after 1428. The two other tenancies were held in the 13thc by John atte Hanger (1276) and Walter Nott (1300) respectively. The advowson of the church belonged, during this period, to the three lords in turn.

VCH (1911) describes the church as it was before the rebuilding, when the nave had N and S aisles, with 4-bay arcades, apparently of the late 13thc.