Highcombe Hike at Hindead Commons and the Devils Punch Bowl
Take a walk through ancient woodland and open heath to find out how the Punch Bowl was formed. On the way learn about the people who lived in the old ‘broom-squires’ cottages and how they eked out their living here over the centuries.
Map
Elevation
Start:
Devils Punch Bowl car park GU26 6AB
1
From the car park head northwards towards to the view point overlooking the Devil's Punch Bowl. Bear left and follow the footpath, identified by the yellow discs, through the trees. The path is skirting the southwest edge of the Devil's Punch Bowl.
2
After 10 minutes you'll reach a major junction with an electricity sub station diagonally on the left. At this junction bear right and go through the gateway/cattle grid onto the common - you are now at Highcombe Edge. Follow the signposted track with the Punch Bowl to the right. Ignore any paths breaking away to the left.
3
After 15 minutes or so, you'll reach a split in the path; take the smaller right hand path off the main track and pass by the Robertson Memorial and also enjoy the view of the Punch Bowl. Continue past the obelisk re-joining the main gravel surfaced track on a gentle downward incline to arrive, after 30 minutes, at a major intersection.
The Robertson Memorial
The Robertson memorial at Highcombe Copse commemorates the lives of Second Lieutenant Laurance Robertson (36) King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on 30 July 1916 and his brother, Captain Norman Robertson (40) of 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, who died on 20 June 1917. The Robertson memorial at Highcombe Copse is one of nine placed on high ground around the south east of England and “within reasonably easy access of London”. It was paid for by William Robertson, Laurance and Norman’s older brother. Highcomb Copse, incorporating an obelisk, was purchased in December 1938, includes around 84 hectares of heath, farmland and coppice woodland with two cottages on the western side of the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
4
Turn hard right and continue downhill. After 300 metres, the track falls away to the left leading to Keepers Cottage - don't go down this path. Instead the path flattens out in a southerly direction en route back to the car park. If wet, the track here can be muddy. After 40 minutes, you'll come to a gateway on your left. Ignore and continue, as signposted, forward through a glade of beech and silver birch trees before reaching an open area. Aim for the gateway into the woods, ignoring the path going steeply up to the right. Continue on the path through ancient woodland and eventually the path will become an upward incline as you ascend out of the Devil's Punch Bowl. At 50 minutes you'll encounter a footpath sign for a (steep) trail to the right; ignore this and continue straight ahead and, after 100 metres, ignore a footpath signed away to the left. Continue straight ahead and onto the now demanding uphill element of the walk taking care towards the end of the ascent where the trail surface becomes quite rough underfoot. Once at the top bear sharp right going through the gateway bringing you back to the view point with the Devil's Punch Bowl car park away to the left.
End:
Devils Punch Bowl car park GU26 6AB
