The parish of Harpley lies in western Norfolk roughly midway between the market town of Fakenham and the port of King's Lynn, it is approximately 8 miles west of the former and sits just south of the A148 road which connects the two. A glance at any map will also show the main feature of the parish, the ancient structure of Peddar's Way which cuts a straight line through the west of the parish and forms a national trail today. This is a long occupied part of Norfolk's landscapes as the tumuli dotting Harpley common to the northwest of the village testify. Like most parishes in Norfolk Harpley would have been a farming community, the majority arable but in this part of Norfolk it would also have had sheep walks and warrenries. Today Harpley is a mid-sized village with most facilities still remaining and thankfully the few yards which separate it from the busy A148 keep it relatively peaceful.

St Lawrence's church sits on the northern side of Church Lane, the middle of Harpley's three east/west running lanes. This church has extensive documentary evidence for its construction making the precise dating relatively straightforward. Pevsner states the main body of the church was initially constructed between c1294 & 1332 under the patronage of a member of the prominent Gurney family. Despite this he speculates that the chancel arch, often the oldest part of any church, predates those dates. The southern aisle is the principal piece documenting that 13th century date, the western tower being of the early 14th century is next in sequence. The chancel, too, shows extensive work of this Decorated period. The latter 14th and early 15th centuries brought significant changes, the nave and southern arcade were renewed, a clerestory added and a northern aisle built. Restoration in Victorian times followed fairly typically and even recently roofing repairs necessitated a somewhat ugly set of images during my visit. Church Lane is narrow and shady but a verge is sufficient for a car or two, the churchyard is surrounded by a railed fence with wide wooden gates granting entry to a relatively open and unobstructed graveyard.