The parish of Thorpe Abbotts (there is some dispute regarding the number of "t's" in that word, we follow modern Ordnance Survey in giving it 2) has the distinction of having within the parish the southernmost piece of land in Norfolk, the parish forms part of the border with neighbouring Suffolk and is formed by the course of the River Waveney. Thorpe Abbotts lies roughly 6 miles east of the market town of Diss, the village sitting just over a half mile north of the busy A143 road which follows the Norfolk/Suffolk border from Diss through to Bungay & Beccles. Thorpe Abbotts position in the valley of the Waveney gave its farming a more diverse character than is normal for the county, the riverside water-meadows providing grazing for, mainly, cattle as well as higher ground being typically arable and dominated by cereals.

All Saints' church sits away from the village it serves, sitting alongside the A143 and next to "The Hall". With a round tower, typical of an early church in East Anglia, the church rightly has early origins, not Saxo-Norman as many are but in this case of the 13th century, its origins shown in the slit-thin lancet windows shown upon it. Also of the 1eth century and Early English Gothic in style is the chancel albeit in this case the only lancet has been blocked, it sits on the northern face. Later modification resulted in the southern doorway, Decorated in style, being added in the early 14th century whilst Perpendicular style windows in the nave almost certainly represent a late 14th century restoration rather than a construction date, also in the same period the western tower acquired its octagonal topping. Whilst Pevsner mentions that a restoration took place, calling both nave & chancel windows "over-renewed", he neglects to indicate its date. The church sits alongside the busy A143 and it is thankful for easy visiting that a roughly surfaced parking area sits outside the hedged churchyard. That hedge is backed by a line of trees which effectively screens the church from view and also somewhat reduces the noise of passing traffic, once within there are no major obstacles for the photographer.