Category: News
Chichester Natural History Society tour of the Punch BowlPosted On: 17/04/2026
Members of the Supporters Committee joined Lead Ranger Matt Cusack, giving Chichester Natural History Society a guided tour of the Devil’s Punch Bowl. Members of ChiNATS last visited the site nine years ago and were keen to see the changes. Robins, willow warblers and goldfinch joined the chorus of spring birdsong; and bilberry, celandine and […]
Read MoreTwo more ponies!Posted On: 25/03/2026
With funds from the Hindhead and Black Down Supporters, there are now two more young ponies in the Punch Bowl doing great work grazing and controlling scrub re-growth after the significant clearance works carried out over the winter.
Read MoreDate announced for guided bird walk on Black Down – Friday 22nd May 8amPosted On: 15/02/2026
Join local bird expert Paul Matson for a morning stroll over Black Down on Friday 22nd May, listening and looking for the special birds that inhabit this extensive woodland and heathland nature reserve. Places are limited, so please email the walk organiser, Peter, to book a space: admin@blackdownhindheadntsupporters.org
Read MoreHaslemere Charities FairPosted On: 30/11/2025
Members of the Committee enjoyed meeting many of the hundreds of people who attended the Haslemere Charities Fair in November 2025 at Haslemere Hall. Visitors to our stand were intrigued by the little chips of wood we had brought along – gnawed from stream-side trees by the beavers who now reside in Valewood, carefully tending […]
Read MoreWater Voles Return to the River WeyPosted On: 02/09/2025
Water voles are being returned to the River Wey catchment, having previously been declared locally extinct. They’re key to riverside biodiversity and amazing ecosystem engineers, but they’re also Britain’s fastest declining mammal. The Black Down & Hindhead Supporters have been helping the local National Trust rangers and the partners in this exciting project and our […]
Read MoreAll about the Devil’s Punch BowlPosted On: 14/07/2025
Supporters and friends explored the Devil’s Punch Bowl, strolling along cool shady paths on a hot and sunny July Sunday, soaking up some of the extensive knowledge of the area being shared by local National Trust volunteer, Arthur. Butterfly sightings included a rare close view of a purple hairstreak that had descended from its usual […]
Read MoreNew Wealden Heaths National Nature Reserve declaredPosted On: 29/06/2025
Great news for the National Trust’s Black Down and Devil’s Punch Bowl and several other local heathland sites that were declared on 27th June 2025 as the “Wealden Heaths NNR”: England’s newest National Nature Reserve as part of the King’s Series of NNRs. This brings together 2,766 hectares of nature reserves managed by the National […]
Read MoreNightjars in the evening skiesPosted On: 26/06/2025
A group assembled at Black Down on the evening of 25th June and were led along the heathland tracks as darkness fell. They were treated to the magical sound of nightjars churring in declaration of their territories, and to the sight of these rare birds flying against the inky blue sky. Nightjars are summer visitors […]
Read MoreWandering the Swan Barn Farm meadowsPosted On: 25/06/2025
Andy Swan led a group of enthusiastic Black Down & Hindhead National Trust Supporters through the tranquil meadows of Swan Barn Farm on a sunny June Sunday. A stone’s throw from Haslemere High Street, just past the old town well, pretty assemblages of wild flowers give an indication of the varied underlying geology and ground […]
Read MoreCastle Copse discoveriesPosted On: 06/06/2025
Newcastle University’s Professor of Archaeology, Sam Turner, gave a fascinating talk to members and guests of the Black Down & Hindhead Supporters on 4th June. Recent excavations, funded by the Supporters, revealed the presence of an Iron Age fort / settlement on Castle Copse, a recently acquired part of the National Trust’s Black Down estate. It […]
Read More