Moon Mausoleum
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In Surrey, England, there is a woodland area by Hindhead Commons called the Devil’s Punch Bowl. It is said the Devil himself created it out of spite and many local legends and superstitions exist. Years later an unknown sailor was brutally murdered there and is believed to be haunting the area.
In Surrey, England, there is a woodland area by Hindhead Commons called the Devil’s Punch Bowl. It is said the Devil himself created it out of spite and many local legends and superstitions exist. Years later an unknown sailor was brutally murdered there and is believed to be haunting the area.
Sometimes during the Middle Ages, the Devil himself, vexed by the many churches in Sussex, embarked on a diabolical plan. Intent on flooding the area, he commenced digging a channel from the English Channel through the South Downs. As he dug, he cast up colossal lumps of earth, each metamorphosing into local landmarks such as Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring. The Devil’s ambitious project was disrupted in the village of Poynings, now known as the Devil’s Dyke, when the crowing of a vigilant cock thwarted his efforts, or so the story goes.
Another tale speaks of the Devil used to jump between the hills called Devil’s Jump, annoying Thor, the Norse God so much he tried to strike the Devil down with his thunder and lightning. As retaliation, the Devil started hurling earth at Thor, leading to the creation of the Punch Bowl.
The Devil’s Punch Bowl in Surrey, England, is a large natural amphitheater and beauty spot with a unique geological formation. It was created through a combination of natural processes, including the erosion of the soft, sandy rocks that form the basin.
The name “Devil’s Punch Bowl” is associated with local folklore and legends that attempt to explain its formation. In reality, the Devil’s Punch Bowl is a result of a combination of water erosion and freeze-thaw processes.
It is now a protected nature reserve and a popular destination for walkers and nature enthusiasts. The site offers stunning views, diverse flora and fauna, and a rich geological history.
It is also known as the site of a gruesome murder that put a stain on the area, as well as a curse on the dead man’s grave.
On 24 September in 1786, The Unknown Sailor walked into the Red Lion Inn in Thursley Village. He was walking to London to board a ship and was having drinks with three other sailors: James Marshall, Michael Casey and Edward Lonegon.
According to witnesses The Unknown Sailor paid for all of their drink and food before leaving Hindhead Hill together with the. This was the last time anyone ever saw him alive as they killed him and took his clothes. He was close to being decapitated and left him naked in the valley.
The murderers were arrested only hours later when they tried to sell his clothes at the Sun Inn in Rake, or Rogate as it is now. Six months later they were tried and two after they were convicted, they were hanged close to where they had committed the murder in Hindhead.
The Unknown Sailor was buried where he was killed by the help and money from the villagers. No one knew his name, and no one ever found out. It is speculated in the book Who was the Sailor murdered at Hindhead 1786 from 2000 by Peter Moorey that his name was Edward Hardman, born in 1752 in Lambeth, London.
Another stone, The Sailor’s Stone was put up near Cosford Mill, close to where the murder had happened. When it was put up, it had an inscription that said:
THIS STONE
was Erected
by order and at
the cost of
James Stilwell Esqr.
of
Cosford
1786
Cursed be the Man who injureth
or removeth this Stone
This made the local people superstitious about the stone as well as the surrounding area. Was this truly the devil’s place? Was the sailor haunting it, or perhaps even the murderers that were hanged just up on the hill?
They tried to put up a Celtic Cross on Gibbet Hill where the scaffold the hanged murderers had been that said: “Light after darkness. Peace in passing away. Hope in light. Salvation after death.” They did this to put an end to the legends and superstitions that the villagers were convinced of. But did this help at all though? After all, people still sometimes claim to see something that looks like a lonesome wanderer where the nameless sailor died.
Featured Image: Wikimedia
