The Sign
The sign was erected in 1994 to celebrate 100 years of the Hawstead Parish Council and made by Harry Stebbing of the Village Sign People. The main panel shows the church in the background with a farmer and horse ploughing the field in the old traditional way. A pheasant, ears of wheat and a collection of local flora represent the rural nature of the parish.

The three shields belong to the Drury Family on the left, the Cullum Family in the centre and the Metcalf Family on the right.

The Name and Population
The population was 134 at the 2011 census. Known as Haldsteda / Hersteda in the Domesday Book. The name means "A place of Shelter" from Anglian and Old English.

Other Points of Interest
The Metcalfe Arms was once the name of a public house in the village.

The church is dedicated to All Saints