The parish of Fishley lies in eastern Norfolk just northwest of the small village of Acle and about a mile north of the busy A47 east-west route across Norfolk. Fishley was an ancient parish that disappeared when its church fell into ruin, united with Upton most of its records can be found in that parish, the parish was restored in mid-Victorian times following the restoration of the church. There is little habitation to mark this tiny parish which would probably have been dependent upon the hall for its parishioners.

St Mary is actually an ancient structure though you have to search hard for features that remain other than the characteristic round tower that usually denotes a Norman origin. The restoration which revived the parish also revived the church and much is of the 1860s. The underlying building is probably 13th century. St Mary's stands in a windswept position amongst open fields and protected by some straggly pines from the Broadland exposures.