Twentieth century

The depression lasted until the outbreak of the First World War when both industry and agriculture were stimulated by increased demand. Lawshall, like every other town and village, sent its young men off to war but 24 failed to return. The church clock serves as a visible reminder of them as it was installed as their memorial.

There were tremendous changes in the village during the century with the tractor replacing the horse, the car replacing the bicycle and the arival of the telephone, radio and electricity. The rural landscape of the village changed dramatically. There was a recovery in farming from 1939-45 and as a result of financial incentives to cultivate more land, the clearing of hegerows and trees began. Then the average field size was about 8 acres but today it is nearer 40-50 acres.

Beginning in the 1940s there was a steady decline in the services available in the village. Once there were 5 public houses in the parish but now only The Swan remains. The Harrow at Harrow Green closed in 1971. The village has also lost village shops, post office, garage and a more regular public transport service. However, some key facilities remain such as All Saints primary school which was threatened with closure in the late 1980s.

The current village hall was built in the 1960s and remains an important resource for the community. It replaced the old village hall that stood in The Street and was formerly the horse hair factory. The hall also served as the dining hall for the school.

In June 1991 the village sign was unveiled. The design represents Lawshall's links with the Abbey of Ramsey shown by the arms of the abbey flanked by two monks. In 1547 the Manor of Lawshall was sold to the Drury family and the lower shield shows the coat of arms of the Drury family and also the Hanningfield family.

References:

1. Lawshall Village Appraisal Group, ed. (1991). Lawshall: Past, Present and Future - An Appraisal. Appraisal Group.