The village of Wales is eight miles ESE of Sheffield. Of the medieval church only the early 12thc two-bay nave and chancel, and a Perpendicular 15thc W tower survive (Harman and Pevsner 2017). The village was transformed by coal mining in the late 19thc and a necessary extension to the church was added in 1897. The large nave and S aisle were added on the S side, so that the small old building was reduced to the status of a N aisle. At the same time, the Norman S doorway was re-set on the S side of the new aisle.

This was originally a chapel-of-ease in the large parish of Laughton-en-le-Morthen. The place-name refers to a settlement of British people, perhaps serfs, and is recorded in 1002-4.

Ryder (1982, 100) observes that 'The surviving N and E walls of the original building are of rubble, with irregular but quite large angle quoins, and some very large stones used in the lower courses of the N nave wall'. He places it 'quite early' in the Norman period, with an 'impressive' doorway.