The parish of Great Walsingham lies in northwestern Norfolk roughly 5 miles inland from the port of Wells next the Sea. Great Walsingham is also commonly known as Old Walsingham since it pre-dates its now larger southern neighbour of Little Walsingham. Great Walsingham sits just over 2 miles east of the B1105 road which connects Wells with Fakenham and occupies the valley of the River Stiffkey. Whilst Little Walsingham has outgrown its larger neighbour largely on the back of its Catholic pilgrimage shrine, Great Walsingham remains a typical rural Norfolk village with church to the west of the river, together with a small knot of properties, and the remainder of the village to its east. The wider parish is intensively arable, the shallow valley of the River Stiffkey provides some meadows and pastures but away from it rise gentle low hills covered in broad cereal and similar arable cropping fields.

St Peter's church, as already mentioned, lies to the west of the River Stiffkey to the west of St Peter's Road. Pevsner describes St Peter as "a singularly beautiful church" but not as would be expected for its exterior architecture. The exterior is the usual mixture of Decorated , in the main, and Perpendicular styles found throughout Norfolk. Most features are from the earlier Decorated period which covered the earlier half of the 14th century with later features in Perpendicular perhaps indicating a single build across the 14th century. The church is curiously foreshortened by not having a chancel which was lost in the early 17th century with only some small pieces remaining. It is the interior preservation of the fittings that Pevsner finds most pleasing with a complete set of late 15th century benches through both nave and flanking aisles. the delightful carving includes poppy-heads with vine, oak & other leaves and on the arms little animals as well as apostles and angels. There is room for a single car outside the metal gates which breach the surrounding typical flint & brick wall of the churchyard, once within there are no obvious obstacles for the photographer.