The parish of Sisland lies in southeastern Norfolk about 2 miles west of the small market town of Loddon. Sisland is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet with no defined village, merely a scatter of farms and cottages dotted around winding narrow lanes just a mile south of the A146 road which connects Loddon with the city of Norwich. In a county of small parishes Sisland stands out as one of the smaller in the rural areas, the parish covers just over 450 acres and had a population, in early gazetteers, of just 64 parishioners, tiny indeed. The course of the River Chet defines the northern boundary of the parish and the water-meadows of that river's valley would have provided a little variety to what would, otherwise, have been a typical arable farming community.

St Mary's church stands on the northern side of a winding lane which roughly parallels the course of the Chet. Whilst St Mary is undoubtedly picturesque, with its unusual (for Norfolk) wooden bell-turret, it is not an ancient construction having been built in 1761 to replace Sisland's former medieval church which had been struck by lightning. That church remains as scattered remnants of re-used masonry as well as a pointed arch, Pevsner states it was 12th century and thus Norman Romanesque in style. The current church he succinctly describes as "an engaging little building" and so it is, thatched and white-washed it makes a pretty sight. Church Road is narrow and there is no wide verge for parking so care and consideration should be shown whilst visiting. The churchyard is hedged to the road with a gap for entry, whilst the churchyard is relatively uncluttered there are trees grouped around the eastern end of the church which limit the favoured southeastern aspect.