Devil's Punch Bowl

Devil's Punch Bowl
Site of Special Scientific Interest
The Devil's Punch Bowl seen from below
LocationSurrey
Grid referenceSU 892 364[1]
InterestBiological
Area282.2 hectares (697 acres)[1]
Notification1986[1]
Location mapMagic Map

The Devil's Punch Bowl is a 282.2-hectare (697-acre) visitor attraction and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest situated just to the east of the village of Hindhead in the English county of Surrey. It is part of the Wealden Heaths Phase II Special Protection Area.[1][2][3][4]

The Punch Bowl is a large natural amphitheatre and is the source of many stories about the area. The London to Portsmouth road (the A3) skirted the rim of the site before the Hindhead Tunnel was built in 2011. The land is now owned and maintained by the National Trust as part of the "Hindhead Commons and the Devil's Punch Bowl" property. The highest point of the rim of the bowl is Gibbet Hill, which is 272 metres (892 ft) above sea level and commands a panoramic view that includes, on a clear day, the skyline of London some 38 miles (61 km) away.[3][5]

The Devil's Punch Bowl was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Devil's Punch Bowl". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Map of Devil's Punch Bowl". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Hindhead Commons and the Devil's Punch Bowl". National Trust. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Designated Sites View: Wealden Heaths Phase II". Special Protection Areas. Natural England. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  5. ^ Tarver, Nick (27 July 2011). "Tunnel vision becomes a reality". Retrieved 16 December 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ^ "BBC: Seven Man Made Wonders". Retrieved 20 June 2018.