Archbishop Lanfranc founded a church on the site in 1080. The Great Fire of 1666 left only the tower standing. Christopher Wren designed the present church, and the mason's contract was signed on August 2, 1670. The body was complete by 1673 and the tower by 1680, at a cost of 15,421 pounds. The article calls the style English Baroque. The body is red brick with Portland stone dressings, and the tower and spire are Portland stone. The tower is 222 feet (67.6 m) high.
The crypt has Norman round arches. Incendiary bombing in 1941 gutted the church, and Laurence King restored it to Wren's designs from 1956 to 1964. It was Grade I listed while still a shell in 1950.
It is a Church of England parish church and home to the Court of Arches. Services are held on weekdays.
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