St Dunstan was built in the late 12th century with just a chancel and nave, the north and south aisles being added a little later. In the 14th century a spacious east end was created.

In the northwest pier of the chancel, the remains of the entrance and steps to the medieval rood loft can be seen. At the west end of the north aisle there is a wall painting of a great ship dated c.1500, a reminder of the nearby shipbuilding yards that existed at that time. The Rev. Richard Harris Barham, author of the humorous tales The Ingoldsby Legends, was vicar of St Dunstan, from 1817 to 1829.

Today the village includes just a handful of cottages and the Red Lion Inn. In the late 18th century, the row of cottages in front of the church was used as a workhouse for the poor of Snargate.

The large house behind the church was once the Rectory. Snargate was home to artist Harold Gilman, sometimes called the English Van Gogh. He was a British Impressionist and a member of the Camden Town Group. He grew up at Snargate Rectory, where his father was rector. The Red Lion pub originates from the early 16th century and has been run by the current family since 1911. It is a tiny ale house with an antique marble bar top and bare wooden floor. The walls are decorated with World War II era memorabilia.