Modern Times
Victorian Era
The plentiful aquifer water of Hambledon supported two breweries in the 19thC, the better known being Hartridge & Sons, formerly Alliance Brewery, which was acquired by Francis Hartridge in 1882 and continued at the same site for over 100 years, even surviving a German high explosive bomb in 1940.
The arrival in 1874 of a new Vicar, the Reverend Dr. Thomas White, led to vigorous work in church building and reform of worship. Hambledon’s parish church underwent major repairs, and a new church of All Saints was consecrated at Denmead in 1880 to serve its growing population.
20th Century
The War Memorial in Hambledon churchyard tells its own story of the toll paid by Hambledon in the Great War and that toll continued in World War II – both by service personnel from the village and in the billeting of troops post Dunkirk evacuation and pre Operation Overlord. On 22nd May 1944, King George VI visited Hambledon to review troops assembled in and around the parish in readiness for D Day.
21st Century
In the present century Hambledon’s population has remained static at about a thousand. The village has maintained its unique identity, its environs protected by the South Downs National Park conservation area, the National Trust and a committed Parish Council.
The community spirit is thriving, having survived numerous floods and the vagaries of Corona virus. Many village groups meet regularly to explore local history, books, poetry and music as well as combatting the challenge of climate change coordinated by the Hambledon Greening Campaign to mention just a few.
A significant development after a repeat of major flooding in 2014 was the construction of the Big Pipe to collect and carry away excess groundwater that would flood the cellars and main streets of the village. Hambledon’s geographical location in a dry valley in chalk downland means that from time immemorial, winter rains would raise the level of the water table and a stream or winterbourne would rise and flow down East and West Street and into the meadows towards Hook Vinney following a course along Fareham Road. The ditch that accommodated the winterbourne was filled in during WWII to permit the passage of military vehicles in the build-up of forces prior to the D-Day landings. Unfortunately no provision was made for the seasonal floodwater until the Big Pipe which now has kept the village from flooding since it came into service in 2016 though cellars in the older houses are still prone to flooding.
From its Saxon roots through the heyday of cricket at Broadhalfpenny Down and on to modern times, picturesque and historic Hambledon continues to be a lively and engaging place in which to live.
