Fifty years ago, in 1948, Cawston was a self-contained village; everything you wanted or needed was here in the community. I will be looking at the past and its changes.

Just after the war, the school was "bursting at the seams" with more than 180 children in the four classrooms, two of which were divided by a curtain. The playground was very small and P .E. had to be done on the road outside the school entrance. School meals were introduced in 1949 and were served at the present Scout hut near the Rectory. On the 5^th May 1953, the new school buildings came into use. The vastly improved facilities were welcome, particularly the playing field. There were 142 children, up to 15 years old on roll at this time. In 1957 the school was reorganised as a junior and infant school, the seniors (11 +) would have been transferred to Aylsham, pending completion of Reepham High School.

In 1981, Swannington (a nearby village) school closed, increasing Cawston school numbers by 23 children, bringing it to 144 on roll in five classrooms There is at present still five classrooms and 140 children, with the Head teacher being Mr. John Crowdy. There has been four Headteachers at Cawston School in the last 50 years and many teachers have come and gone too. The teachers have not all become involved with the community to give them a sense of belonging.

1964 a new seat of learning came to Cawston, when a Woodard school was established at the Manor, now Cawston College, with Mr. John Asquith as headmaster.

Since 1950, five Public Inns have closed within the village, with only two remaining, The Bell and The Ratcatchers. Now the men of the village do not spend so much time in the pubs as they did 40 years ago, it has probably contributed to the closure of the Public Houses.

The population has varied a lot in Cawston, in 1947 it was 1,050 and rose to 1,535 by 1996. A survey of occupants showed that 37% of men were employed in agriculture, (the wage was £1-10-0) this figure has fallen considerably since then. In 1956 only 30% of women were employed, a much lower figure than today. Crops grown in Cawston's fields would have included barley, wheat, oats, peas and a few root crops, Poorer families ate rye bread, thin gruel and cheese (little meat). Richer families ate wheaten bread and more meat dishes. People now eat much the same food as each other and there would be less distinction between richer and poorer families within the community.

There has been a lot of building developments, providing many homes. An estate was built in 1977 providing bought and rented accommodation, some of the bungalows were especially for the elderly (sheltered housing) with a warden's house and community room nearby. The community room is used by various organisations e.g. bingo, WI,  ladies social club, luncheon club and a meeting place for the elderly, which is very important for the community. There is a surgery held twice a week here, which is a great asset.

There has been another 3 housing estates built, adjoining one another on the land once belonging to White House Farm in the market place. But things have been lost as well. Such as the many shops, there were; 4 butchers, 3 bakers, 2 fish and chip shops, one harness makers, shoe mender, hardware, dressmaker, tailor, general store/post office, coal delivery, egg packing station and a hairdressers (with a perm costing 5 /-). At present there is one butcher's, post office/general store, 2 hairdressers, electrical shop, 2 garages, village shop and several small businesses where the owners are self-employed or 'one­man-band'.  Related Link: Businesses History

There was an abattoir that became a valued source of employment. The butchers would go to Reepham sale (a town 3 1/2 miles away) and would walk their livestock back to the abattoir. This changed after the war, when there were more motor vehicles. Eventually the abattoir closed in 1970 and became an egg packing station, later taken over by Continental Wine Experts. Beside Continental Wine Experts is Broad1and Wineries, Where they bottle wine, this factory has grown tremendously and is still expanding, resulting in more employment" .... The best thing to happen to Cawston"( Carman G ), but also more heavy traffic along the small streets of Cawston.

The Great Eastern Railway (G.E.R) was re-named London North Eastern Railway (L.N.E.R) in 1948. Dr. Richard Beeching (chairman) closed un-economic railway lines, Cawston's last passenger trains past through on 15^th September 1952, crowds gathered to see the end of an era. The lines were open to freight until March! April 1966; Mr. Lester Briggs was stationmaster at this time. There had been a regular bus service to Norwich since 1914, even running on a Sunday when the trains didn't. In 1956 there were 3 in and 3 out of the village, this was considered a good service, costing 1/9d (9 1/2). Smith & Dent ran this. The train would have been more frequent (approx 5 ) costing 1/9d too.

People buried their rubbish in great big holes in the garden. The 'night cart' came round to empty all the outside toilets. The refuse collection started in the early 1950s making the community a cleaner, safer and healthier place to live in.

Most of my research has been by oral interviews, which I have found very interesting. Cawston is no longer the self-contained village it was 50 years ago. Many Families still have a sense of belonging within the community, where as others work and socialise outside it. I think there is still a community spirit with all these changes to Cawston over the years, it remains to be seen how much longer we can keep 'our' community

Over several years there have been lots of changes in the village as you can see lots of business have closed some completely some just sold on and taken over by new owners. The only business that is still operating today is the butchers it is still on the Market Place. The Post Office closed and a new one built on the Aylsham Rd and over the years has had several building extensions as the business expanded.

There are a lot of very old buildings several hundred years old lots with preservation orders on and lots in the conservation area. Over the years there has been a lot of building work going on in Gayford Road, 19 houses were built. Howard's Way was built in the late 1960s with Fairfield's in 1969.Stocks Loke and Jubilee Close in 1977 And in 1978 the Community Room was officially opened and is still in great use today by the various organisations i:e Bingo Good Companions WI, Ladies Social Luncheon Clubs and a meeting place for the Elderly residents of the sheltered housing scheme. And now on a Monday and Friday Morning the local doctors Surgery its better than in the old Butchers shop which is now a private house were it used to be years ago where if an the seats were taken you had to sit on the old marble meat slab.

There are a lot of people who still work locally in the village but also a good portion who work in the city and some even commute to London daily.

There are new buildings still to be erected around the village at present there are 9 houses currently being built down Chapel Street. There is planning permission for 14 houses opposite the Post Office and also 10 on the Norwich Rd. Interestingly enough there is no playing field but permission has recently been granted for one, a trust has been formed and they are now in the process of setting up the field.

With an the building work that has gone on over the years it is not surprising that the population has increased in 1947 was 1050 compared to today it is 1535 an increase over the 50 years of 485 people.

1f I where to walk through the cemetery today and look at the grave stones you will still see that the surnames of people living in the village today can go back several generations.

Bibiography

A short history of a Norfolk village (May 1993) Kett J. ,Cawston.

Pears Cyclopaedia (1996-1997)

Dr. Chris Cook, Penquin Group, London.

Acknowledgments:-
Briggs Mrs. J. Cawston.
Carman Mr.G. Cawston.
Know1es Mrs. G. Cawston.
Purdy Mr. & Mrs. 1. Cawston