The church was completed in 1858 and paid for by public subscription. The parish of Greenhow was carved out of the parish of Pateley Bridge in 1860 to serve the growing community of mineworkers living on the hill. It was built by the lead miners themselves, using locally quarried stone. The foundation stone was laid in 1857 by the then Bishop of Ripon. Soon after in 1863 a recreation room was opened with facilities for reading newspapers and playing games.

The east window was originally a triptych depicting the risen Jesus, flanked by St Peter and St Paul. In 1899, permission was obtained to replace the existing stained glass east window with a new window as a memorial to the Revd Henry Kershaw who was the first vicar of Greenhow from 1858 to 1898. The new window represented the crucifixion of Christ and St. Mary and St. John.

At the Annual Parochial Meeting in April 1951, the Curate-in-Charge, The Revd A G Harper (Vicar of Pateley Bridge) complained that the church was in a shocking condition. The roof needed to be put in order, pointing was necessary, and the church must be kept warm and aired. “All this will cost £1000″ the vicar explained and asked whether it could be done “on an average collection of £10 a year?” Then, three months later, came a windfall! A letter from the Incorporated Church Building Society said that a £43 investment made by the vicar in 1858 had grown with interest to £784 4s. 9d.

The roof and ceiling were replaced in the 1980s with labour given freely by local Dales folk. The west end wall was stripped and cleaned in 2002, again by volunteers.

In April 1977, Greenhow became part of the Parish of Upper Nidderdale along with other churches in the upper dale. This is a small, scattered congregation, but the special services held during the church calendar, attract worshippers from the whole dale. St Mary’s has now returned to Pateley Bridge and is part of the parish of Upper Nidderdale, which comprises six churches, from Middlesmoor to Wilsill.

In April 2025, the Revd Darryl Hall, Vicar of the United Parish of Upper Nidderdale, said the decision over the future of this lovely church had not been taken lightly, and the closure process would be started.

The church and churchyard occupied an area of 1456 sq. yds., which meant the area for burials was not large. In less than 40 years, the ground filled up. This cemetery was never expanded for whatever reason; one thought was that there might be a danger of contaminating the local wells. A further plot of 2400 sq. yds. was obtained for a new churchyard, but this was at a distance of a quarter of a mile from the church along the Pateley Bridge road.

The first burial in the churchyard was on 26 September 1858 of Ann Gill, aged 35. This was followed in November by the burial of Francis Blackah, aged 73. The early registers record the deaths of many infants – a sad testimony to the harshness of the times and of the place. The first burial in the new churchyard was of an unknown person who had fallen down an old mine shaft. See also Family History page for selected Parish Registers entries.

The lychgate was made by Robert Thompson (the famous mouseman), whose signature of carved mice can be seen inside the roof. It was designed by J.S. Syme of York and erected in the 1940s. The lychgate was a gift from Miss D Chadwick, in memory of her father, Rev James Chadwick, Vicar of St Mary’s from 1894 to 1903, and was dedicated by the Bishop of Ripon. In 2003, funding by Nidd ANOB and Harrogate Borough Council led to it undergoing extensive repairs and renovation by Martin Holmes of Middlemoor. The lychgate was removed and taken away for this to happen.

The dedication is from Psalm 121, “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help”. A most appropriate Psalm for Greenhow, with the highest parish church in the country.

The cemetery is now managed in such a way so as to preserve the ancient and protected species of flora, which includes primroses and three type of orchid.