These fatal epidemics resulted in a lack of skilled craftsmen, a fact which necessitated the austere simple tracery in most of the windows.

During the medieval period the south chapel area of the church contained a shrine to Thomas Becket, popular with pilgrims en route to Bromholm Priory at Bacton.

The building is one of Britain's largest parish churches and contains many unusual features and artifacts which include the intricately carved telescopic baptismal font cover, a massive iron-bound chest with seven locks, medieval misericord seats, remains of a highly decorated parclose screen with an array of painted saints, a unique Communion Table, and the highly ornate marble tomb of Sir William Paston, 1st Baronet, 1528–1610.

The tower collapsed on the morning of Saturday 16 May 1724 between 9 and 10 o'clock when the entire south-west corner of the structure containing the stairwell failed.

At 6pm on Wednesday 17 February 1836 heavy gales brought down the north side of the ruin, sending a quake like tremor through the town.