The Victorian church is of boulders and rubble striped with brick, and has ashlar dressings. For description and illustration of the church before rebuilding, see Poulson 1840-1, I, 469; also illustrated in VCHER VII, fig. 35. From the various features mentioned, there had been frequent alterations over the centuries, and more are recorded in the 19thc. This history culminated in a rebuilding in 1855 by Mallinson and Healey ‘incorporating old materials’ according to Pevsner and Neave 1995, 763 (in 1854, according to VCHER VII, 413). There are no medieval remains except for six chevron voussoirs reset in exterior walls.

In 1066 Morcar had 6 carucates in Withernwick as soke of the manor of Mappleton; Thor had a manor of one carucate. Both estates passed to Drew de Bevrere by the time of the Domesday Book; there was a tenant called Wazelin. William le Gros, who died in 1179, was said to have given 8 carucates in Withernwick to Peter de Fauconberg. The archbishop held one carucate in 1086 (VCHER VII, 407-8).

There was a church by 1115 when it was given with others in Holderness to Aumale priory.

It has been suggested that the voussoirs came from the N doorway (VCHER VII, 413), but the drawing of the church in the 1850s before rebuilding shows a porch over the S, no doubt main, entrance.

A stone with similar chevron texturing is reset in the interior N wall of the vestry at (North) Newbald.