Natural England - Devil's Punch Bowl (SSSI)
Devil's Punch Bowl (SSSI)
Location and Access Information
Grid Reference: SU 892370
This well known steep-sided valley is located on the outskirts of Hindhead and is visible from the A3, which passes around its eastern end. Signed parking by the A3 is available at several points to the east of Hindhead. Access to the Devil’s Punch Bowl can be gained from the parking area on the eastbound carriageway or alternatively from Hindhead via the public footpath network.
View the site map on Nature on the Map.
Geological Interest
This site is one of the most scenically spectacular areas in the western part of the Weald and its form owes much to the underlying geology. The Devil’s Punch Bowl forms the head of the steep-sided Highcomb Valley and has been formed through the erosive action of springs cutting down and back into the Lower Greensand Hythe Beds and the junction with the underlying Atherfield Clay. This natural amphitheatre is the largest spring formed feature in England and the process can still be seen occurring around the springs in the bottom of the bowl. Further down the valley the Hythe Beds give way to the harder and more calcareous Bargate Beds where a steep-sided gorge has developed. The sandstones of the Hythe Beds give rise to free-draining, acidic soils which support the characteristic heathland, gorse, bracken and woodland vegetation of the area.
