"The present day stone church was probably started late in the 12th Century replacing a previous wooden church dedicated to St Mary. A survey conducted in 1994 indicates that the Chancel dates from around 1160.
About 1220 the tower and nave were added. The nave aisles were constructed and a spire raised around 1290.
The chancel east window of four lights with geometrical tracery is described by Pevsner as quite spectacular and dating from 1300. The nave arcades are 14th century with octagonal piers and round headed arches on the north aisle. Around 1320 the south aisle was rebuilt when the porch was added together with south aisle windows, and a font was provided. Later in the 14th century there was work to reduce the width of the north aisle and at this time clerestory windows were added.
During the 15th century the walls over the aisle arcades were raised and the original steep pitched roof was replaced by the current shallow pitched roof. The roofline shown on the outside of the eastern face of the tower indicates this as does three remaining corbels in the walls of the chancel.
In the mid 16th century the Archbishop of York ordered that all altar stones should be “broken, defaced and bestowed to common use”. Such altar stones were to be replaced by an ‘honest table’. Ratcliffe was lucky in that the altar stone was too massive to be broken and it was dropped into the church floor. This order was rescinded at Mary’s accession in 1553 but c1571 the altar stone was buried and replaced by the honest table now used as a Communion table situated at the forefront of the chancel above the steps to the nave. Also at the time of Mary’s accession, two bells were given to the church by the Commissioner of Church Goods. These were replaced c1600 by two bells by Henry Oldfield.
During the first half of the 17th century a wooden altar, sanctuary rails and font cover were installed.
By the eighteenth century the church was in a very poor state of repair and in the latter half of the century the north aisle including the clerestory was completely re-built and the arches rounded. At this time the treble bell by Hedderley was installed.
Between 1832 and 1840 the church, originally dedicated to St Mary, was re-dedicated to The Holy Trinity. However, in 1868 the church was reported to be ‘fast falling into decay” and .by 1886 major restoration work costing £830 and paid for by Earl Howe, was undertaken. In 1891 the altar stone was restored and re-consecrated.
In 1924 a high wooden screen was installed to box in two bays of the nave and the services were held within. The side pillars show the slots (now filled) which were cut to support this structure. The boarding was removed after a short while. In 1936 a modern font, a gift from Kingston-on-Soar, was installed near the door.
In 1973 restoration of the Sacheverall tombs was made possible through a generous donation from the Pilgrim Trust. The restoration involved dismantling, cleaning and re-assembly incorporating a waterproof membrane in the tomb chest. In 1979 the chairs were replaced by pew from a redundant Roman Catholic church in Leicester, whilst in 1982 the old wooden church gates were replaced by cast iron gates purchased from a church at Cotgrave. At the same time, the gate pillars were re-built.
In 1990 there was extensive pointing and repairs to the church spire at which time the weathercock was repaired and renovated and the roof timbers were treated for beetle and rot.
The church was built when Ratcliffe was an important community and the neighbouring villages were dependencies. As the importance of the village declined so the church fell into disrepair. It was substantially repaired in the late 19th Century and now in the 21st Century, with the general rise of prosperity and activity in the village, the church is once more clean and decent."
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