Rothwell is a small village in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, 9 miles N of Market Rasen and 2.5 miles SE of Caistor. The church is reached by a narrow path leading off School Lane, which runs S from the village centre. It has a late-11thc W tower of coursed rubble, a nave with 3-bay aisles added in the mid-12thc, and a chancel, which was restored in 1892 by J. D. Sedding.

The main landowner in 1086 was Durand Malet who held 13½ bovates in demesne. Next came Alvred of Lincoln who was the overlord of 2 holdings, one of 4 carucates and 1 bovate plus 2 parts of a bovate that was held from him by Gleu, and before the Conquest by Grimkel and William. This holding included a church. A smaller holding of half a carucate was held by Alvred in demesne and had been held by Thorkil in 1066. A fourth holding under the overlordship of Odo of Bayeux was held fronm him by Erneis and Wadard as sokeland of the manor of Nettleton.

Pevsner has the arcades added 'in one go', however the List Description has the S arcade slightly later than the N, based on its "slenderer scallops". In fact the N arcade has an instance of cable necking, and the cones of the S arcade scallops are keeled, and strongly suggesting that it is significantly later than the N arcade.