The early dedication of the church was to St Mary. The present dedication – the Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him Who Hung Thereon – came into use only after the 1230’s. The church was extended in the late c.13th by the addition of the Lady Chapel and the Chapter House. Around this time, Bishop Bronescombe (1258–80) had added to the income of the college by making grants of land and houses. This permitted the restoration of the number of canons to 18.

The church became an important regional centre for prayer and for the making of offerings (which bought indulgences). It was also visited by the sick in search of cures.

A land mine exploded in Newcombes Meadow during the Second World War and some church windows were blown in, but otherwise the building was undamaged. Since the war, the structure of the church has been subject to normal wear and tear, there are ongoing campaigns to raise funding for the organ and the bells (the work has now been done, but more money is needed to pay for it).