Hartest is a small village and civil parish in the Babergh district of the English county of Suffolk.

[6] Former Special Envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury and Islamic Jihad Organization hostage, Terry Waite lives in the village.

One theory is that the boulder was moved by sled from the nearby Somerton Hill to celebrate the Peace of Utrecht and the Duke of Marlborough's victories in the War of the Spanish Succession.

[11] A third theory suggests the boulder was found in a clay pit owned by one Mr Carter, who had the stone moved to its current location.

The Crown is a sixteenth century Grade II Listed building[18] and was previously used as a Moot Hall for the village and surrounding area.