Firle

For the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, see Firle, South Australia.

See the main Firle Wiki page West_Firle

Firle is one of the civil parishes in the Lewes District of East Sussex,England.

The name originates from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning oak woodland. The main settlement in the parish is West Firle; in the 13th century there was an East Firle, in which was the manor of Heighton St Clere, which is now long defunct. Firle Place is situated in the parish. Firle received mention in the Domesday Book. The manor has been owned by a succession of powerful Sussex families, including the Levett (de Livet) family in the 13th century, who sold it to the Gage family.

It has a lovely location in the South Downs, great for going on walks in, and buildings in the village include The Ram Inn. The church is pleasant to visit, and there is a WWII Memorial.

The Bonfire Night celebrations are presided over by the Firle Bonfire Society (FBS), which has the current cultural bête noir as its guy. In 2004 they sparked controversy by burning a caravan full of pretend gypsies in effigy.