West Dereham is situated on the edge of the Fenland, where the land rises to the heights east of King's Lynn. The view is dominated by the vast expanse of lowland to the south-west of the village. West Dereham is a straggle of village mostly south of its church St Andrews which perches on the highest ground to the north. St Andrew's Saxon tower is an impressive edifice, more reminiscent of a Martello tower than a church, made predominantly of the local carrstone it predates the Norman conquest. The tower's wall stand thick against the bracing south-westerlies from the Fens.

The area lies away from the major routeways of the A10 and A134 and was clearly devoted to agriculture in the Victorian period. Besides the plethora of labourers shown on the register the other trades illustrate that this was a rural area.