Penwortham church is sited at the point where the land falls away to the River Ribble below. This was the cause of some consternation in the early C17 when instability caused by burials and underscouring by the river caused landslips. A prohibition on burials to the south and east was put in place, but further slips have occurred over the centuries. Nearby, to the north, is Castle Hill, the site of a Norman motte and bailey. And not too distant is the site of a small Benedictine priory founded in 1140. To this ancient site was added the present church.