Dedicated St Antoninus or Antonius.

Celtic name Lanyntenyn suggesting the dedication to St Anthony. Meneage means "Monkish Land", given to the land north east of the Lizard peninsula, including the parishes of St Anthony, Mannaccan, St Kevern. St Martin and part of Mawgan. There is evidence to show long before the Conquest the district was possessed by an ill-assorted confederacy of small monasteries founded perhaps from Brittany.

Tradition speaks of a cell of monks adjacent to Lantenning but the place was only a grange or farm of the monks of Tywardrweath who became impopriators of the Rectory soon after the Conquest.

St Anthony Church is beautifully situated on the Dennis promontory and close to the waters of Gillian Creek. The Dennis was an early fortress and doubtless the church grew up beneath its patronage. During the Civil War the Royalists of the neighbourhood constructed a small fort on the Dennis.

The Church is mainly of the 15th century. The Norman and 13th century Church here doubtless consisted of a Nave and Chancel only, but an Aisle and South transept have been added.