Twenty years ago, the Hambledon Village Trust purchased the shop and the attached Pendle Cottage. This was shortly after the shop had re-opened as a community venture; and the purchase has assured its long-term future.

The 18th century building is now in urgent need of a new roof. Tiles have been falling off, beams need to be strengthened, there is no underlay and what insulation there is has worn thin. The flat roof over the shop frontage, the deli roof and the garage roof also require attention. It is estimated that the work involved will cost in the region of £100,000. This sum is way beyond the financial means of the Trust. Its only income is from the rents charged to the shop and the cottage tenant.

A fund-raising appeal for the roof replacement was launched at the Village Fete in June, asking for donations to be made to a special ring-fenced fund that has been established, via the Hambledon Community Fund, within the Community Foundation for Surrey.

It’s not just smooth snakes, slow worms and sand lizards that are returning as a result of Stephen Dean’s conservation work on Hambledon Common. The latest exciting arrival is the Silver-studded Blue butterfly.

On July 4th Harry Clarke, butterfly recorder for Surrey, visited Hambledon and Buss’s Commons. As well as the usual Meadow Brown and Large  Skipper, he found two Small Coppers and, best of all, two Silver-studded Blues. The Silver-studded Blue is a rare heathland butterfly, confined to small colonies in England and Wales. It owes its name to the male whose wings are blue with a dark border on the upper side and black, orange and green spots (“studs”) and flecks on the underside. The female is brown and, like the male, also has distinct metallic spots on her hind wings.  

Silver-studied Blues have declined substantially since the 1970s and are now of conservation concern; so finding them on Hambledon Common is especially good news. They are dependent on the Small Black Ant (Lasius niger) throughout their larval and pupal stages. The ants feed on the honeydew-like liquid secreted by the larvae. In return, the ants take the larvae down into their nests and protect them. The ants nest in bare un-shaded spots such as those parts of the Common where rabbits keep the vegetation short and expose areas of open ground. The butterflies emerge in June and feed on the nectar of the bell heather and crossleaved heath, which are in flower during their flight season.