Ashby St Mary, historically Ascebei, is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish has an area of 2.03 square kilometres (0.78 sq mi) and in the 2001 census had a population of 297 in 115 households, the population increasing to 316 in 120 households at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of South Norfolk.

South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. The largest town is Wymondham, and the district also includes the towns of Costessey, Diss, Harleston, Hingham, Loddon and Long Stratton. The council was based in Long Stratton until 2023 when it moved to the Broadland Business Park near Norwich, in the neighbouring Broadland district, as part of a shared facility with Broadland District Council. Some of the district's urban areas form part of the Norwich built-up area. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Some eastern parts of the district lie within The Broads.