The parish of Bressingham lies in the extreme south of Norfolk, some 2/1/2 miles west of the market town of Diss and forming a stretch, here marked by the course of the River Waveney, with neighbouring Suffolk. Bressingham is a rather dispersed village, both hall and church stand on the southern side of the A1066, which links Diss with Thetford, whilst much of the village lies a half mile north of a parallel lane, a further branch (Bressingham Common) stands at right-angles to the latter lane. Bressingham would have had a more varied economy than typically for Norfolk, the farming being perhaps 25% pastoral exploiting the water-meadows of the Waveney. Today Bressingham is something of a local tourism attraction, the grounds of the hall, an 18th century house, being re-purposed as gardens complete with its miniature steam museum, a hit with children of all ages.

St John the Baptist's church stands immediately west of the hall's grounds and is accessed by a public footpath which has been surfaced, Church Lane. The church shows much that is typical of an East Anglian church, begun in the Decorated style and finished in the subsequent Perpendicular, The earliest part is earlier still, the 13th century sees the chancel built in the Early English Gothic style, the simple sedilia is cited by Pevsner as evidence for this early date. The 14th century saw the Decorated style utilised for the 4-bay arcades and the southern doorway whilst all else is of the Perpendicular and either late 14th, 15th or even early 16th century. The western tower, complete with intricate flushwork panelling and the signature piece, the handsome clerestory of 8 closely set two-light windows, are highly characteristic of that era. The death of local benefactor Sir Roger Pilkington in 1527 saw a large bequest for improving the church and this was merely one of many during the 16th century. For once Pevsner does not mention a Victorian restoration, so if one occurred it was clearly light & sensitive. Church Lane head toward the Waveney for a couple of hundred metres before swinging sharply right, here a small triangle of rough ground permits a car or two to park outside the wooden gates. The churchyard is open & uncluttered but as the western tower sits tight to the western hedge, the better views of that edifice are from outside in the lane.