A church has been on this site since the twelth century. It stood until 1740 when unwise alteration work on the church's structure caused the tower to collapse destroying most of the medieval building.

The only surviving remnants being the 1540 chapel of the Weston family and the tomb of Archbishop George Abbot together with some earlier monuments. The building of the present church was begun in 1749.

When Guildford Diocese was created prior to the completion of the cathedral, Holy Trinity became for a few years the Cathedral church seat of the Bishop of Guildford.