This is a micro geocache, containing a logbook only. It's placed in close proximity to the very busy A140 so it will require you to be stealthy and careful. It is hidden outside of the church grounds, on the opposite side of the road to the church. The information for this quite stunning church can be gained from Simon Knott and is written on the Norfolk Churches site and below:
"St Mary suits Long Stratton well, because like many Norfolk churches it was falling into disrepair by the early 19th century and the Victorians turned its wide aisled and clerestoried nave into a crisp, clean, urban space. This is not to say that it is not a pleasant, well-kept building; and, of course, it has the adornment of that large round tower, which rears up above the road. Unusually for a town church it is accessible to visitors, for which the parish are to be commended.
The tower is Norman, and this was an aisled church even before the Black Death. Long Stratton has always been a significant place and despite the attentions of the restorers, there are some intriguing survivals. This is one of those churches where medieval and continental glass bought from a Norwich merchant in the 19th century, fills the east window. The Flemish panels are in rather poor condition, but that in the centre appears to be the Baptism of Christ. The English glass is probably more interesting. A figure with an added female head holds a sheep. Is it St Agnes, or Christ the Good Shepherd, or someone else entirely? There is a fine bearded head, probably of an apostle. What wonderful curly hair he has!
Perhaps the most important artistic survival here is the intricate font cover. It dates from the early 17th century, and builds to a crown of curling openwork. The legend, in gold around the base, is from St John's Gospel: Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Behind the font, the doorway to the tower stairs is set at the top of a small flight of concentric stairs.
High on the west wall are two hatchments and the royal arms of George II. Curiously, there is also a clock. It is unusual to find a clock inside a church, at least in such a prominent position. There's another one at Brancaster, away to the north-west on the coast. Supposedly, they were there for the benefit of the Preacher, although you can't help thinking he'd have got a bit fed up with people sneaking a glance back over the shoulder if he went on for too long.
The massive monument in the chancel is to Sir Edmund and Lady Mary Reeve. Sir Edmund was an important parliamentarian politician during the English Civil War and Commonwealth. He didn't live to see the Restoration, and has the smug air of someone who knows that he died on the winning side.
Long Stratton's most famous survival is the Sexton's wheel. This is displayed in a glass case near the back of the church. It is made of iron, and revolves on a spindle. Its exact function isn't entirely certain, but it seems to have been used to determine which day of the week a parishioner would start a fast. This was decided by which of the Marian Feast days, represented by strings hanging from the wheel, was selected by catching when the wheel was spun. Whichever day the Feast fell on that year, that was the day the fast began.
Curiously, there are only two of these wheels in England, and the other is barely ten miles away at Yaxley, just over the Suffolk border."
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