In 1953 a local newspaper reported that St Mary's Church was an ivy-covered ruin. It was to remain in this state for another forty years. In 1992 Gloria Davey came across the ruin and told her husband Bob, a retired engineer with a long service as a churchwarden. Satanists "were defiling a consecrated church" he said, and realised that he had to do something about the situation. This decision was going to take over the rest of his life. Bob, backed by Norfolk County Council under the Ruined Churches Repair Programme and a few volunteers, cut back the ivy growth, removed vegetation, repaired part of the structure, reroofed the nave and chancel, repointed open and defective joints, inserted honeycomb brickwork blocking to windows and rebuilt the north nave doorway. The interior was cleared, a new floor laid, glass installed in the windows, a path to the church constructed and missing church furniture found.  The original bell was found and hoisted. It was in 1996 when a contractor spotted paint in a corner of the nave and suddenly what was just a restoration of an ancient but lowly country church was transformed into an international gem. In 2006 the wall paintings were stabilised by specialist conservators. There are at least six layers of paint at St Mary's. The original scheme dates from 1090 at the latest and is visible on all four nave walls. A second, decorative, layer dates from the 15th century and a third is post Reformation text, of which only a fragment remains.  In between each is a layer of limewash. The paintings were covered over by, at latest, the mid 18th century, but probably much earlier. Scenes include the Last Judgement, the Creation of Eve and Noah's Ark. There is no road to this isolated church, just a track at the side of a field.