The first stone church building was erected on the site of St Mary's church, Handsworth, around 1160. It was a small and austere Norman structure, occupying about half of the present south aisle. The lower stages of the sandstone tower at the original church's east end are amongst the few surviving Norman features.The church has undergone successive phases of enlargement, reconstruction and restoration, including the erection of the Watt Chapel which houses a large marble statue of James Watt by Sir Francis Chantrey.