Sternfield is a village in Suffolk, England. It is located south of

Saxmundham Saxmundham ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England, set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is ser ...

, its post town. The village is very small and irregularly built, and is wholly agricultural. The village contains a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. It is Grade II* listed for its surviving medieval work, notably the south porch and tower. During the 1960s and 1970s Lt. Col. Sir Eric and Lady Penn lived at Sternfield House, a large house next to the church with extensive gardens and as Sir Eric was the comptroller of the

Lord Chamberlain's Office The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. It is concerned with matters such as protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, royal weddings and funerals. For example, in April 2005 it organised th ...

and a trusted presence in Buckingham Palace, senior members of the royal family came and stayed at Sternfield House on a number of occasions. Princess Margaret came most often, but the Queen also came at least once and attended St Mary Magdalene's, as did the Queen Mother. Another notable property is Sternfield Hall, with its classic Georgian soft red brick facade and late 16th-century wing which is probably the site of a medieval manor house where on 27 April 1385, a

licence to crenellate In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within th ...

at Sternefeld (Sternfield) was granted to Sir Michael de la Pole by Richard II in year eight of his reign.

References

Villages in Suffolk Civil parishes in Suffolk {{Suffolk-geo-stub