The parish of South Wootton lies in western Norfolk, forming part of the county's coastline with The Wash. South Wootton is located about 2 miles north of the port of King's Lynn and sits on the route of the A148 as it leaves King's Lynn on its way to the market town of Fakenham. Whilst South Wootton was once a distinctly separate village it has gradually been subsumed within the growing urban area of Kings Lynn becoming effectively its northern suburb. The parish sits on the edge of extensive marshlands, grazing marshes stretch for over 2 miles to the route of the Great Ouse, enclosed within its manmade banks. The western edge of the village marks where the ground rises as the underlying bedrock changes to carrstone, an iron rich sandstone of a characteristic umber colour that gives the village a cheery glow in evening sunshine. The soils were, unfortunately, poor as a result and it was estimated that almost a quarter of the parish was "waste", these heathlands are, of course, an attractive feature and well used for exercise and wildlife by the locals today. South Wootton had a brief period as a railway location, the line from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton often traveled by royalty on its way to nearby Sandringham, the line was, however, a casualty of the 1960s cuts and is no more.

St Mary's church sits on the northwestern corner of the village, on the southern side of Church Lane and just above the height of the nearby marshlands. Whilst the bulk of the church is from the 14th century, Pevsner hints at an earlier building, or possibly a reused piece of earlier fabric, by noting the presence of quoins in the western side of the nave and also the northwestern buttress which appear to be Anglo-Saxon in style. It is probable that an earlier church stood here and was replace or extensively rebuilt in the 14th century. The chancel is certainly Decorated and style and early 14th century whilst other 14th century style pieces appear to be reworked or mimic-ed by 18th century restoration work. The northwestern tower with its carrstone featuring prominently was, however, completely rebuilt in the 1890s. Work continued on the building right up to the end of the 20th century when the present single storey entrance was added. The churchyard is walled by a mixture of brick, local stone and flint and a pair of wooden gates grant access to a churchyard which has few obstructions to photography.