I
t is thought that it became known as a 'Punch Bowl' from the way the mist lies in the bowl and appears to flow over the rim as if it were boiling over.

The Punch Bowl was actually formed by springs cutting down and back into the soft rock and is the largest spring-formed feature in Britain. The process can still be seen occurring around the springs in the bottom of the bowl. Until the 1930s, the bowl was inhabited by 'broom squires', who made brooms from the surrounding birch trees.

The slopes of the Devil's Punch Bowl, a large natural amphitheatre, are covered with heath, small streams and areas of woodland.

Hindhead Commons, covering 647.5 ha (1,600 acres), comprise some of the most extensive areas of lowland heath in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), of importance for its large expanses of undeveloped countryside.

Gibbet Hill, a sandstone hill with views across the Weald, marks the site where three footpads (highwaymen on foot) were hanged after murdering a sailor on the then wild wastelands of Hindhead Common - the Sailor's Stone commemorates the event.

Grazing of the heathland by commoners ended around the mid-1900s, which allowed the spread of birch, pine and bracken over the heather. 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.

The heath is dominated by heather, Bell Heather, Cross-Leaved Heath and Dwarf Gorse, with bracken and Common Gorse and grasses such as Purple Moor Grass. Older woods and wood pastures of oak, holly, ash and beech coppice occur in places, as in Highcombe Copse. Alder, willow and Bog Bean grow along the stream at Highcombe Bottom, with a series of small mires. Green, Great and Lesser-Spotted Woodpeckers can be seen in the woods, with Nightjar, Stonechat and Woodlark on the heath. The valley bottom supports a rich insect fauna, home to rare craneflies.

Sir Robert Hunter, co-founder of the National Trust, lived in Haslemere about 100 years ago. Shortly after forming the Trust in 1895, he organised a public subscription to purchase much of Hindhead Commons, one of the Trust's earliest acquisitions. Sir Robert's far-sightedness has meant that a century later we can still enjoy the landscape he worked to save.

Information sourced from: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Ludshott Common & Waggoners Wells

Ludshott Common is one of the largest remaining areas of heathland in East Hampshire.

It covers 285 ha (705 acres) and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA) because of its wildlife.

For centuries it was used by local commoners whose ancient rights allowed them to graze their cattle, sheep, ponies and pigs. Some commoners collected heather, gorse, wood and bracken for fuel, winter fodder and animal bedding. These activities led to the open heathland you can see there today.

Grazing and 'commoning' ceased to be practised about 100 years ago and since then the common has gone through a cycle of scrub development and severe fires, the last being in 1980 when around 300 acres were burnt. Since 1980 this area has been maintained as open heathland which is enjoyed by many visitors. Recreating some of the habitat conditions created by grazing which are vital for a variety of species is now a constant aspect of the Trust's conservation work.

Heather (Ling), Bell Heather, Dwarf and European Gorse are the principle plants of the heathland. The heathy and scrubby vegetation provides a habitat for specialist heathland birds such as the Woodlark, Nightjar and Dartford Warbler. There are also a great many spiders and butterflies, including Silver-Studded Blue, Grayling and Green Hairstreak.

You may be surprised to find a concrete road on the eastern side of the common. This was laid by Canadian troops during the early stages of the World War II and was the main street of Camp Superior. Over 100 wooden huts were erected as accommodation for the soldiers and their foundations are still to be seen in certain places. During both World Wars the common was used for military training. Following the end of hostilities the huts were turned over for civilian housing until the site was bulldozed in the early 1960s. The area is gradually reverting back to nature, although a number of garden species still persist. Apple trees, rose bushes and wild privet hedges are testimony to the garden's former residents.

Waggoners' or Wakeners' Wells consist of a series of stream-fed man-made ponds which may have originally been constructed as hammerponds for the local iron industry in the 17th-century. They appear never to have been used for iron production and today these ponds are important for wildlife and contain a variety of fish.

Pockets of semi-natural sessile oak woodland occur along the valley sides and the mature trees alongside the ponds harbour fascinating lichen communities with other plants characteristic of ancient wood pasture. Redpoll, Wood Warbler, Woodcock, Spotted Flycatcher and Tawny Owl use the marginal woodland and Kingfisher, Coot and other wildfowl inhabit the ponds.

Information sourced from: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk