All Saints church Freshwater is one of the oldest on the Island and is listed in the Domesday survey of 1086, and could date back as much as 300 years before that. Extensive alterations were made to the church in the 12th and 13th centuries and the tower dates from the 15th century.

In common with the rest of Freshwater the church has links with the Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson; the present treble is dedicated to him and the clock chimes composed by Sir John Stainer are called "The Tennyson Chimes".

The tower originally housed four bells cast by Clement Tosier of Salisbury in 1726. By 1784 two had been useless for over ten years and the other two for two years, and they were recast as two bells by Charles & John Rudhall of Gloucester. One Rudhall bell was recast in 1895 when the remaining bell was retuned (the present 5th) and joined by five new Taylor bells. New bearings and a new "H" frame on two levels was provided by Gillett & Johnstone in 1953. The weights below come from Taylor's records, since the bells remained in the tower during the rehanging and the G&J list in the tower is only approximate.