The parish of Great Massingham lies in the northwestern part of central Norfolk. Great Massingham is a substantial village which lies about 9 miles east of the port of King's Lynn and about 7 miles southwest of the market town of Fakenham. Great Massingham sits about a mile north of the B1145 road which connects King's Lynn across mid-Norfolk to the A1067 at Bawdeswell. Great Massingham is located at the edge of the mid-Norfolk plains where they butt-up against the higher ground which forms a spine from northwest Norfolk southwards to Breckland, the ancient Peddar's Way follows this higher ground and runs barely a mile west of Great Massingham. No mention of Great Massingham could be considered complete without mention of its splendid village green (or rather greens) which run over a stretch over several hundred yards complete with grassy picnic spots, ponds and paths - a real village asset. Given its size Great Massingham retains most of its essential facilities, shops, bus services and pub still intact.

St Mary's church sits on the eastern side of the village green towards it southern end where many lanes meet and Great Massingham has its centre. Any view of St Mary is struck immediately by its typical Norfolk Perpendicular 4-stage tower, but the building has older origins than that. Pevsner notes the southern porch and doorway as being Early English and of the 13th century. The church is large as befits a substantial village, Great Massingham would have held a population of over 800 at the time of this transcript. Most of the building dates from the Perpendicular period, like the tower, but the Victorians, of course, added their usual changes in this case in the 1860s.