The Sign
The original village sign was erected in 2000 to commemorate the Millennium and carved by Paul Woricker, a local to the area. The more recent sign shown here was made in 2023, illustrated by Steven Binks and Justin Carpenter from Bures, working from and improving the original design. It was erected in early 2024. The sign is located on a small green at the junction of Upper Street and Valley View, opposite the church.

The sign is double sided with different themes on both.

Side one - The church of St James and graveyard stands in the background, the knight represents the Walsham family, the shield on the left, the Bernay family and the shield on the right represents the arms of Hugh de Montfort who held a lot of the land around the time of Domesday. Wild roses surround the shields in the foreground.

Side two - The Stanstead Post Mill is shown in the background, now demolished. The centre of the sign is taken up with more of a rural setting, with a farmer and two Suffolk Punch horses standing on the banks of the River Glem, which flows to the south of the village; a swan and heron can be found on the river. Again, wild roses can also be seen. At the bottom of the sign are two shields representing the carved angels from the chancel roof beams, with a twist: on the left an angel holding the head of Claudius which represents Roman times in the area, and on the right and angel holding a shield with the date of the sign erection in 2000 and 2023 (actually erected in early 2024).

The Name and Population
The population was 319 at the 2011 census. The name means "The stony place" from Old English. It was called Stanesteda in 1086 and Stanstede in 1197.

Other Points of Interest

There is much evidence of earlier Iron Age and Roman settlements in the surrounding area.

The church of St James has been much altered by the Victorians, but retains a good set of Queen Anne royal arms.