GPX file here
On Sunday the 10th of June 2018 I drove from home to the Wheatsheaf Inn in Grayswood GU27 2DE where I parked across the road. I arrive at 930 after a hour and a half drive.
Here I met 13 others from the Walking For Pleasure, Team South East group before setting off on today's walk.
We set off along a path to the left of the pub passing Dorotey Farm and crossing over a stream by a wooden bridge.
Then it was a climb up a bridge to cross the rails.
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| The bracken was a little high. |
We start the climb up past Tuder's Copse.
We continue up gradually steeper and steeper pass Keffold's copse and up to Hurthill Copse.
It isn't called Hurthill Copse for no reason, but the views from here were amazing, shame it was still a little hazy.
We walk on and come across the remains of The Temple Of The Four Winds.
Boasting fine panoramic views over the Surrey countryside, this innocuous stone base was once the foundation of the Temple of the Four Winds, a lodge built around 1910 by Irish ship magnate Lord Pirrie on his great estate at Witley Park.
It was on this spot that the Viscount held elaborate picnic lunches for his cronies during deer hunting outings. But after his death in 1924, the lodge fell into disrepair.
After decades of vandalism and neglect had rendered it a safety hazard, the Temple of the Four Winds, located at Hindhead near the Devil’s Punch Bowl, was dismantled in 1966.
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| What the Four Winds Temple looked like. |
We now continue on and start climbing again heading up to Gibbet Hill.
We reach the summit of Gibbet Hill where we stop for a quick snack and drink.
Gibbet Hill stands 272 metres (892 ft) above sea level. It is the second highest hill in Surrey.
It commands a panoramic view, especially to the north and east. The view to the north overlooks the Devil's Punchbowl, Thursley, Hankley Common, Crooksbury Hill, and the Hog's Back towards Godalming and Guildford. To the east lies the Sussex Weald. To the south, the hills of Haslemere and Blackdown can be seen, with some sections of the South Downs. On a clear day it is possible to see tallest buildings in London's skyline including The Gherkin, Tower 42 and Wembley Stadium, approximately 61 kilometres (38 mi) away as well as intermediate landmarks such as towers in Woking and Guildford Cathedral.
Weydown common lies to the south of Gibbet Hill. From 1909 or earlier until 1939 or later, a white horse was carved into the hillside at Combe Head, so that it could be seen from Gibbet Hill, although the figure is now covered by heath.
The area was one of disrepute due to the activities of highwaymen and robbers, the corpses of three of whom were formerly displayed there on a gibbet as punishment for their crimes. Another account has the cross as Erle's unmarked memorial erected after his death.
The general area is one of heathland and gorse, and was originally an area of the broomsquire, who would harvest the heather, broom, and birch branches to make brooms. As such, it was often thought to be a pagan or heathen area.
Gibbet Hill and the nearby area were mentioned by Dickens in his novel Nicholas Nickleby, in the scene where Nickleby was walking from London to Portsmouth.
They walked upon the rim of the Devil's Punch Bowl; and Smike listened with greedy interest as Nicholas read the inscription upon the stone which, reared upon that wild spot, tells of a murder committed there by night. The grass on which they stood, had once been dyed with gore; and the blood of the murdered man had run down, drop by drop, into the hollow which gives the place its name. "The Devil's Bowl," thought Nicholas, as he looked into the void, "never held fitter liquor than that!"
Dickens was referring to the murder on 24 September 1786 of an Unknown Sailor who was met by three men in the Red Lion at Thursley as he was travelling to his ship in Portsmouth. He bought them drinks and they then followed him and murdered him in the Devil's Punch Bowl. They were quickly apprehended at the Sun Inn in Rake, tried and executed, and their bodies hung on Gibbet Hill. The unknown sailor was buried in Thursley churchyard, and a memorial stone was erected on Gibbet Hill near the scene of the crime. In 2000, Peter Moorey suggested that the sailor was an Edward Hardman.
In 1851 Sir William Erle paid for the erection of a granite Celtic Cross on Gibbet Hill on the site of the scaffold. He did this to dispel the fears and superstitions of local people and to raise their spirits.
The cross has four Latin inscriptions around its base. They read:
POST TENEBRAS LUX
IN OBITU PAX
IN LUCE SPES
POST OBITUM SALUS
which translate to "Light after darkness. Peace in passing away. Hope in light. Salvation after death."
On 6 May 1945, a Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando (44-77839) of the United States Army Air Forces was flying over Gibbet Hill in bad weather, when the aircraft struck a radar tower and crashed; all 30 passengers and crew died along with one person on the ground.
We walk on and we are now walking around the edge of The Devils Punchbowl and see where the old A3 ran ( Or not ran as I hear stories of constant traffic jams)before the tunnel was built.
The Devil's Punch Bowl is a large natural amphitheatre and beauty spot near Hindhead, Surrey and is the source of many stories about the area. The London to Portsmouth road (the A3) skirted the centre of the site before the long Hindhead Tunnel was built in 2011.
Local legend has much more colourful theories as to its creation. According to one story, the Devil became so irritated by all the churches being built in Sussex during the Middle Ages that he decided to dig a channel from the English Channel through the South Downs and flood the area. As he began digging, he threw up huge lumps of earth, each of which became a local landmark — such as Chanctonbury Ring, Cissbury Ring, Mount Caburn, and Rackham Hill. He got as far as the village of Poynings (an area known as the Devil's Dyke) when he was disturbed by a cock crowing. (One version of this story claims that it was the prayers of St Dunstan that made all the local cocks crow earlier than usual.) The devil assumed that dawn was about to break and leapt into Surrey, creating the Devil's Punch Bowl where he landed.
Another story goes that, in his spare time, he hurled lumps of earth at the god Thor to annoy him. The hollow out of which he scooped the earth became the Punch Bowl. The local village of Thursley means Thor's place. An alternative version of this story says that Thor threw the earth at the Devil, who was annoying Thor by jumping across the Devil's Jumps.
A still older story claims that two giants clashed in the area, and one scooped up earth to throw at the other, creating the landmark before missing the throw and creating the Isle of Wight.
The name Devil's Punch Bowl dates from at least 1768, the year that John Rocque's map of the area was published. This was 18 years before the murder of the unknown sailor on Gibbet Hill, so this event was clearly not the origin of the name. Prior to 1768, it was marked as "ye Bottom" on a map by John Ogilby dated 1675. The northern end of the Bowl is known as Highcombe Bottom which exists in different variants: Hackombe Bottom, Hacham Bottom, and Hackham Bottom. These variants indicate that the pronunciation of the name is "Hay-combe" rather than "High-combe".
The soil in this part of Surrey has two layers — an upper layer of sandstone, with clay beneath. This deep depression is believed to be the result of erosion caused by spring water beneath the sandstone, causing the upper level to collapse. With its steep sides, the Devil's Punch Bowl has become a natural nature reserve, filled with heathland, streams and woodland.
The site has abundant wildlife. Most woodland species can be seen easily - including lesser spotted woodpecker and redstart. It is known for being the last remaining locality of wood warbler in Surrey.
We now reach the gravestone of The unknown murdered Sailor.
The Sailor's Stone was erected by James Stillwell of nearby Cosford Mill soon after the murder. It was sited on the Old Coaching Road from London to Portsmouth close to the site of the murder. The inscription on the front of the stone reads:
ERECTED
In detestation of a barbarous Murder
Committed here on an unknown Sailor
On Sep, 24th 1786
By Edwd. Lonegon, Mich. Casey & Jas. Marshall
Who were all taken the same day
And hung in Chains near this place
Whoso sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his
Blood be shed. Gen Chap 9 Ver 6
[NB the following part of the inscription was clearly added at a later date]
See the back of this stone
THIS STONE WAS ERECTED
A.D. 1786 BY JAMES STILLWELL ESQRE. OF COSFORD
AND WAS RENOVATED SEP 24TH 1889 BY
JAMES JOHN RUSSELL STILLWELL ESQRE OF KILLINGHURST
THE DESCENDANT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STILLWELLS
OF COSFORD AND MOUSHILL
The inscription on the back of the stone reads:
THIS STONE
was Erected
by order and at
the cost of
James Stilwell Esqr.
of
Cosford
1786
Cursed be the Man who injureth
or removeth this Stone
When the London to Portsmouth road was realigned in 1826 the stone was removed and placed alongside the Punch Bowl bend. It was then removed back to its original location (and the curse on the back of the stone added). The stone was then returned down to the Punch Bowl road. Finally the stone was moved again in 1932 back to its original location when the main road was widened.
We walk on along the ever increasing busy path as we near the NT cafe and car park.
We pass the plaque indicating that the new A3 tunnel is 213ft below our feet.
The former London to Portsmouth road, which once cut Hindhead Common in half, was handed back to the National Trust, which will now look after the land and ensure that the site is preserved.
The Hindhead tunnel, is now the UK's longest underground road route.
The old road wound around the Devil's Punch Bowl, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a conservation area for wild birds.
The new tunnel routes traffic underneath the site and meets up with the original road at the Haslemere junction.
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| Part of where the old A3 once ran. |
We turn away from the cafe, where will be back later and start to descend down into the Punchbowl.
We are again climbing back up the punchbowl and to the top.
We stop for a rest at the top and take in the views , just then a small group of Exmoor Ponies ran through.
Grazing of the heathland by commoners ceased around the mid-1900s, which allowed the spread of birch, pine and bracken over the heather. However, this encroachment is now being reversed by a programme of active reclamation. Exmoor ponies and Highland cattle are now helping to restore and maintain these areas.
We walk on pass Highcombe farm and through beautiful woodland and down across a stream.
We are again now walking back uphill to the top of the Devils Punchbowl.
We reach the Robertson Memorial in Highcombe Copse.
William Alexander Robertson lost his two younger brothers in the First World War and when he died in 1937 he left a bequest to us to commemorate them. His legacy allowed the NT to buy various properties.
We stopped here for lunch, as by now many were flagging and ready for a rest.
We walk on for about another mile and a half, Davids route did initially require us to descend once more before climbing back up to the cafe, but the whole group voted to stay up high and walk on.
We arrive at the cafe where we stopped for refreshments, I had a cream tea (would be rude not to!)
We walk on for our final stretch crossing over the old A3 and along the Greensand way opposite.
After a while David indicates to take a path on my left, this descends very steeply indeed but had marvellous Rhododendrons in full bloom.
Here at the bottom we follow a track passing the Inval wood.
We stop to marvel at a Giant Redwood we stumbled across, magnificent trees!
Giant Redwoods are the world's largest single trees and largest living thing by volume. Giant Redwoods grow to an average height of 50–85 m (164–279 ft) and 6–8 m (20–26 ft) in diameter. Record trees have been measured to be 94.8 m (311 ft) in height.
We follow on along a lane flanked by beautiful houses and a hedgerow managed to protect Dormice.
We cross Bunch Lane and continue up hill up Inval Hill.
At the top of the hill we turn left and back on ourselves to walk along Wispers Lane.
We walk through more woodland and across Weydown common , where we meet 4 alpacas.
We continue walking and cross Keffolds Farm before meeting back on our first path we set out on.
After a short while after crossing back over the rails we are back at the pub where most stopped for a drink.
The New Wheatsheaf Hotel was opened in 1904 by the Surrey Public Trust Co. Ltd. Before this the old Wheatsheaf Inn had been across the road for at least 150 years at what is now a private house called Hawks Stoop.
It was here Lord Tennyson is reputed to have sometimes joined the locals for a glass of ale having walked from his home in Blackdown.
A great walk at just under 10 miles, a big thank you to David for leading this walk and thanks for great company.
