The Devil’s Punch Bowl is an ancient forest just behind my human grandparents’ garden in Surrey, South England.
I have explored this forest many times during my visits and I love going there…I’d spend all day every day in there if I could! 🙂
‘Local legend has it that the Devil lived at the ‘Devil’s Jumps’, three small hills near to Churt. He would often torment Thor, the God of Thunder, who lived at nearby Thor’s Lie (Thursley), by jumping from hill to hill. Thor would try to strike the Devil with thunder and lightning and once the Devil retaliated by scooping a handful of earth and hurling it at Thor. The depression that remained is the Devil’s Punch Bowl. It 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.’
In France, my human does not like going into the forests at all during the winter hunting season. We prefer to enjoy the nearby empty beaches and parks until the hunting season is over.
Super long daily forest walks during my winter holidays in England (hunting is banned here)….what a bonus eh?
We were very lucky to catch a glimpse of:
Robin
Bunny
Squirrel
Heron!
Heron?
Definitely Heron
On the way back, my human kept feeling someone was watching us…
Bambi!
By the time I arrived at the spot where Bambi was standing….
Where’s Bambi? 😦
Zola the Rhodesian Ridgeback Girl 
What a beautiful walk, Zola, and how different from your walks in France! Those deer…you can just never catch them!!
-Bart and Ruby
I guess Bambi and co were a bit scared and thought they ought to get out of your way.
Surrey is beautiful (I hear). The Lady Of The House has JUST (today as ever was) finished a writing job for a company down there.
Love and licks, Winnie
Oh my dog! The Devil’s Punchbowl looks like a fantastic place to explore! And you spotted a Robin! Wow! When I was living in Italy, we got an occasional glimpse of Robin visiting my garden.
Oh yeah stay away from the forest during hunting season. It’s too dangerous!
Love,
Homer
What a gorgeous spot. That last heron picture made me gasp. I would keep out of the forest (in France) during hunting season too ;p
Interesting that Thor featured in local lore. I forget sometimes the connection between the Vikings and the British Isles.
Hey Lola – only bambis, no lions eh?
Zola I mean Zola. Stupid Typist.
Wow Zola, what a magical place you live in. I must come to France one day. Yeah, like that will ever happen. But at least I can enjoy pictures of it when I go on cyber adventures with you.
Gonna go and read some back posts of yours cause I have been missing a lot lately.
Have a good day
Bert
What a great walk. I loved the photo of Bambi. It made me wonder what kind of deer you have there. Your deer looks a lot different from ours!
Beautiful photos!
Hi KB – I have had a look at the types of deer here and from the descriptions and pictures I think this is a Roe deer because of the body shape and white rump!
http://www.bds.org.uk/roe.html (British Deer Society)
Here is an overview to the six different types of species found in Britain – what do you think?
http://www.bds.org.uk/deer_species_overview.html
The Devils’s Punchbowl is in a place called Hindhead which is where we are –
The place-name ‘Hindhead’ is first attested in 1571, and means ‘hill frequented by hinds’, that is to say deer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindhead
I had a look at the deer in Colorado and found this list! (you have the lot!)
http://www.donerickson.com/animals/animals.html#Cervidae
When I was at Uni in Edinburgh there was a lot of research being done into red deer, and I’m pretty sure that that’s not a red deer – it looks more roe to me. The easiest identifying factor would be the size – roe deer are really small. 🙂
H and Flo
Thanks Flo – I think you are absolutely right – I looked at the British Deer Society page and think the Roe deer looks like our Bambi…it was smaller than the deer we have seen in Richmond Park or Windsor Great Park. It was interesting to read up about the deer in Britain. xx
O gosh that is such a beautiful place! 🙂
We saw a deer once in one of our forests in New Zealand – we don’t know what type it was (New Zealand only have indroduced deer). It ran right out infront of our humans, we were to busy sniffing a log and missed it *Humph*
Licks and lots of slobber,
Lexi and Jasper the Danes