The parish of Denver lies in western Norfolk about a mile south of the market town of Downham Market. Denver, which once was a separate large village, has become, over the years, merely the southern extension of Downham Market. The village sits on the former route of the A10 which now bypasses both Denver & Downham Market to their east side. At the time of this transcript Denver would have been a farming community, sitting astride the break of slope which separates the higher ground to the east of the A10 from Fenland to the west, Denver would have had two types of farming both arable to the east and pastoral to the west. No mention of Denver would be complete without covering the impressive drainage works of Denver Sluices; originally built around the late 1820s these impressive structures have been rebuilt steadily over the years to maintain the drainage of a wide area of the eastern Fens. From an original concept by Vermuiden today's impressive gates control the water levels of much of the Norfolk & Cambridgeshire Fens.

St Mary's church sits at the heart of Denver in the southeastern quadrant of the main village crossroads. Making extensive use of the soft iron-rich sandstone (carstone) this is an unusual church to look at - its striking russet colour emphasised in late evening sunshine. There are three basic periods to the church, the western tower from the late 13th century is the oldest portion. The chancel arch and many windows show the 15th century design of the Perpendicular whilst much else comes from an extensive set of restorations beginning in 1868 and running through to the early 1870s. The final piece of building before the modern era was to raise the tower's height after its wooden spire blew down in 1895. The church sits within an enclosing wall of carstone & brick with entries from both Ryston & Ely Roads. The church is curiously crammed into the northern edge of the churchyard but as the better views are usually from the southern aspect this does not overly impact on photography.