St Mary's Church is unusual in that it has a central tower. Such towers are rare in Norfolk as they require a sturdy base which Norfolk flints could generally not provide. This tower, however, has survived for 800 years. The high transepts and unusual northern buttress support the structure. Locally quarried carstone was used for building parts of the church. It is a soft honey-coloured sandstone which hardens with age. The small circular belfry openings reveal its great antiquity. It once housed the oldest known bell in East Anglia, dating from the 12th century. The south porch was added in the 15th century and once had a small room above. An array of hatchments adorns the clerestory walls. On the north wall are the arms of three local gentlemen and on the south wall are those of their widows. The Royal Arms are those of George III. Also of interest is the medieval painting in a scroll design around the tower arch. There is an intriguing memorial commemorating Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe, a Heacham man. It states, 'Princess Matoaka Rebecka Pochontas daughter of Powhatan hereditary overking of the Algonquin Indians of Virginia born 1595 baptised 1613 died 1617. Her romantic marriage in 1614 to John Rolfe brought peace to the settlement to mark a picturesque episode in the history of two nations.'