South Walsham is unusual in being of two parishes, even more unusual in that both churches reside within the same churchyard. St Lawrence parish covered the eastern portion of the joint area. South Walsham lies to the east of the city of Norwich, about 9 miles to the east and 3 northwest of the large village of Acle, the two parishes are bordered to the north by the course of the River Bure. South Walsham in mediaeval times, and supported by St Benet's Abbey, was a small market town but that status has lapsed and South Walsham is a large village today. South Walsham sits just east of the B1140 road which connects Wroxham through to the busy A47 (two to three miles to the south) and South Walsham has seen much growth in that direction in recent times. Essentially a farming community, at the time of this transcript, that economy would have been supplemented by the presence of the Bure with its attendant river traffic as well as wildfowling & reed harvesting for thatch.

St Lawrence church has been deconsecrated the result of substantial damage caused originally by a fire in 1827. Whilst there was a restoration and reopening the presence of two churches was felt to be no longer required and St Lawrence was unused from 1946. What remains dates either from the restoration of 1832 or is original from the 15th century when most of the fabric dates, the Perpendicular style indicative of that period. The remains of nave and western tower are all that is left from those pieces. An interesting aspect of the orientation of the two churches is that they are not equally aligned east to west, St Mary is slightly angled south of the line utilised by St Lawrence which follows the true easterly bearing. Today St Mary is the parish church for the whole and St Lawrence is used for other purposes. As you pass through South Walsham coming from the B1140 the joint churchyard sits on the left with a small car park to the east of St Lawrence, the joint churchyard has few obstructions to photography.