Into the Punch Bowl

Planning some day trips into the Surrey Hills National Landscape this summer, or just dreaming about getting out of town without the stress of driving? This week we focus on Episode One: the Devil’s Punch Bowl walk at Hindhead, where hosts Luna and Annalees begin their new series of gentle, uplifting audio walks through the Surrey Hills National Landscape, with local experts sharing their love of the countryside, community and cultural heritage.

Ambles & Rambles is a new four-part podcast series created by Whistlestop Arts, inviting you to explore the Surrey Hills either out on the footpaths or from the comfort of home. Each free episode is built around a car-free walking route you can reach by train and bus, and along the way you meet and hear from people who live and work in this extraordinary landscape.

The route in Episode One combines accessible paths with the 1.3-mile Sailor’s Stroll, making space for different levels of mobility while immersing listeners in one of Surrey’s most striking landscapes.

As they walk, your hosts explore the folklore and history that give the Devil’s Punch Bowl its atmosphere, from legends tied to the bowl itself to the story of the Sailor’s Stone. The episode also reflects on the changes brought by the Hindhead Tunnel, which transformed the area from a traffic-dominated bottleneck into a tranquil place for nature and people to come together.

Sam Jones from the Surrey Hills Society discusses the organisation’s work to widen access through initiatives like the Growing Together project. Nikki Roberts and Yasmin Broome from the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People speak about championing equal rights, opportunity and confidence for disabled people across Surrey, while Coalition member Suzan brings the conversation into lived experience, describing her own visit to the Devil’s Punch Bowl and the importance of practical features that have changed to enable more people to explore.

Ali Clarke from Surrey Hills Arts, a regular guest in this series, adds a creative perspective, introducing projects such as Listen to the Landscape and the Xylem bench artwork. Her contribution shows how storytelling, sound and art can help people connect with place in ways that go beyond walking alone.

The result is a podcast episode that does more than guide a route. It asks how landscapes can become more welcoming, how public transport can support access, and how creativity can open the outdoors to more people. For anyone curious about the Surrey Hills, it offers a warm and thoughtful introduction to Ambles & Rambles and a tantalising glimpse of what the rest of this four-part series has in store.

Ambles & Rambles is commissioned by Surrey Hills National Landscape and funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Access for All programme, in partnership with Surrey Hills Arts and Surrey Hills Society, and supported by the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership.

To listen to Episode One, explore the route and discover all four new Ambles & Rambles podcast episodes, visit whistlestoparts.org/amblesrambles.