The Devil's Punch Bowl is a naturally formed "amphitheater" and tourist attraction near the village of Hindhead in Surrey. It is believed to have been formed by groundwater eroding a lower layer of sandstone, causing the clay and rock layers above to collapse to form a deep, steep-sided depression.
In the short story The Manhood of Edward Robinson, Edward Robinson decides to take his newly purchased red sports car out for a spin in the countryside and ends up at the Devil's Punch Bowl. After a short walk on the site, he returns to to his car and discovers a diamond necklace in the glove compartment. There is also a mysterious note telling him to meet at the nearby village of Greane. What happens next forms the main plot of the story.