The parish of gayton lies in western Norfolk about 7 miles east of the port of King's Lynn. Gayton sits at the crossroads of two "B" roads, the B1145 running from King's Lynn through to Bawdeswell & the B1153 running from Narborough through to Docking. Gayton is a substantial village, one of the larger in the area, with most properties built either side of the B1145 and west of the B1153. Whilst Gayton would have been a largely arable farming community and the land is still intensively worked, today it is growing as a commuter settlement for the port & industry of King's Lynn. Gayton parish was extensive, one of the larger in Norfolk, it covered almost 3,300 acres making it almost 2 1/2 times larger than many eastern Norfolk parishes, its situation at the eastern edge of the coastal plain and butting up against the rising ground of Massingham Heath would have led to a variety of soil types and hence cropping.

St Nicholas' church sits close to the crossroads that forms the eastern edge of the village and on the southern side of the B1145. Unusually for a Norfolk church it is largely in the Decorated style with only the chancel and clerestory in the later Perpendicular fashion. Pevsner, thus, dates the building to the early 14th century with perhaps a continuous build running across that fashion style change. Of a later date still is the southern porch, it carries an inscription of 1604 on the sundial. The church received major restoration in 1850 as it was starting to decay, the upper portions of the walls were rebuilt and the roofing replenished. The churchyard is bordered by a low flint & brick wall with a nice lychgate granting access to what is a rather open and austere churchyard devoid of obstructions to photography.