A misty Devil’s Punch Bowl

We were last at the magnificent Devil’s Punch Bowl a couple of month’s back. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it provides the gateway to the Surrey Hills. The Commons and Punch Bowl is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Owned and managed by the National Trust, the Devil’s Punch Bowl is always a delight to visit whatever the time of year. Its natural amphitheatre, with its heath, streams and woodland, almost take your breath away.

On this day it was misty. Which was quite surreal given we’re used to being surrounded by the bowl’s spectacular views. Normally I’d be craning my neck to capture the carpet of colour beneath but all we could see was ourselves, the path ahead of us and a wall of white mist. It’s typical the first time we experience this at the Devil’s Punch Bowl is the day I take the in-laws there to admire the views! Not that it mattered, we imagined what we could see instead and five year old POD had the important job of getting her shiny new wellies grubby. A job she relished in!

We always enjoy the Sailor’s Stroll at the Devil’s Punch Bowl as it’s around a mile in length and perfect for little adventurers. As you can imagine, POD is not one for staying on the path and likes to explore nearby or climb trees. If you’ve not come across it before, the Sailor’s Stroll marks the spot where an unknown sailor met his death in 1786 while walking from London to Portsmouth.  The three men that beheaded him where tried and hung in chains at nearby Gibbet Hill as a lesson to others. A celtic cross monument was erected to dispel rumours that the hill was haunted by the ghosts of the highwaymen. Gibbet Hill which is renowned for being one of the highest points in Surrey at 282 metres – on a clear day you can see Leith Hill, Box Hill and London.

This visit to the Devil’s Punch Bowl was such a contrast to our last (below) but we still loved being outdoors and breathing in that fresh country air. And with lots of muddy puddles to jump into, POD’s new wellies certainly got a good outing!