Easy hikes and walks around Thursley

The old A3, historically the Portsmouth Road, was a vital 67-mile artery linking London to England’s premier naval port. Its strategic military importance peaked during the Napoleonic Wars, though it was notorious in the 18th century for daring highwaymen and smugglers. Turnpiked to accelerate horse-drawn mail coaches, the route was officially designated as the A3 in 1922. For decades, it suffered severe bottlenecks, most famously the narrow single-carriageway wrapping tightly around the Devil’s Punch Bowl. The opening of the Hindhead Tunnel finally bypassed this stretch, allowing the old road to be reclaimed by nature as scenic trails.

Perched along the scenic trails, Xylem is a striking, curved bench carved from a single oak tree trunk. Part of the Inspiring Views project, it frames a spectacular panorama, allowing visitors to gaze across the sweeping, heather-clad slopes of the vast sandstone amphitheater and deep into the valley below.

Branching off the main trails, the quiet country lanes surrounding the Devil’s Punch Bowl offer tranquil, traffic-free routes. These scenic paths wind past historic farmsteads and sunken valleys, providing a deeply peaceful local countryside escape.

Following the 2011 opening of the Hindhead Tunnel, the old A3 through the Devil’s Punch Bowl was closed and dug up. Nature completely reclaimed the tarmac, transforming it into peaceful, scenic paths. Today, cyclists enjoy paved, car-free routes tracing the rim of the dramatic, sandstone amphitheater.

Erected in 1786 along the Old Portsmouth Road, the Sailor’s Stone is a historic boundary marker commemorating a notorious local tragedy. It marks the exact spot where an unknown seafaring traveler was brutally murdered and robbed by three men he had just befriended in a nearby pub. The stone features a stern biblical inscription condemning the crime and features a famous, ominous curse on its reverse warning anyone against moving it.

Gibbet Hill is the second-highest point in Surrey, offering an extraordinary viewpoint that stands out within the Devil’s Punch Bowl landscape. Standing beside the historic Celtic cross, you look out over a breathtaking panoramic landscape of rolling hills, deep valleys, and open heathland. On crisp, clear days, the scenery opens up dramatically, allowing you to trace the horizon all the way to the iconic skyline of central London, miles to the northeast.

The old A3 road, which once choked the Devil’s Punch Bowl with traffic, has been transformed into a peaceful, paved walking and cycling trail. Following the 2011 tunnel bypass, nature reclaimed the tarmac, creating a scenic, accessible path that seamlessly connects visitors to the wider Surrey Hills network.

Built around 1910 by shipbuilder Viscount Pirrie, the Temple of the Four Winds was a grand stone hunting lodge and viewing pavilion. After falling into severe disrepair, the unsafe structure was dismantled in 1966. Today, only its restored stone plinth remains on Hurt Hill, offering magnificent, sweeping views.