Lewes Bonfire night 2018 - everything you need to know

Six bonfire societies will run more than 30 processions during the Lewes Bonfire night celebrations, intermingling with each other through the narrow streets and here is some information on when and where they begin:

• Cliffe Bonfire Society start their activities at 5.45pm with the ladies’ barrel run from Cliffe Corner to Cliffe Bridge in Cliffe High Street followed by the men’s barrel run at 6pm.

Their first procession will start from The Dorset in Malling Street then proceed along Cliffe High Street for bonfire prayers and return to The Dorset, the society’s headquarters.

At 7.10pm they begin their second procession from their headquarters and head to Cliffe Bridge where they will hurl a blazing barrel into the River Ouse. The society will then carry on up to School Hill, along the High street to Cliffe Bridge and back to their headquarters.

At about 10pm models of Guy Fawkes and Pope Paul V will be destroyed by fireworks along with giant heads representative of personages “deemed by the Society”, and there will be the society’s big fireworks display at Ham Lane (access via Pinwell Lane). At 11.45pm the final procession starts from The Dorset and heads down to Cliffe Corner where the celebrations will conclude with Bonfire prayers and anthems.

Tickets to Cliffe Bonfire’s firework display and bonfire 10pm must be bought in advance. They are available from shops on the High street in Lewes and cost £5 per person.

• Waterloo Bonfire Society start their first procession for the children at 5.30pm in Market Lane. At 6.30pm they start their second procession from Market Lane via Fisher Street to the War Memorial where they will halt for their Remembrance ceremony.

At 8pm they begin their Waterloo Town Procession which will start on Western Road. At 9.35pm the Waterloo Grand procession starts in Market Lane and head towards Southdowns Road for their big fireworks display in Malling Brooks.

Then at 11pm they begin their fifth procession and return to The Lamb, Fisher Street.

At 11.50pm the final sixth procession heads to North Street via Market Street where members will gather for prayers and anthems.

Tickets for their bonfire and fireworks display can be bought from Information Centre on the Lewes High Street or on the night at the site in Malling Brooks.

• Southover Bonfire Society start at 4.55pm from Eastport Lane, head via Garden street and end at The Kings Head.

At 6pm the remembrance procession begins in Keere Street. Their grand procession then starts at 7.30pm at The Kings Head. From 9.50pm they start their “silent walk” to the convent field via Cockshut Lane.

At 10.05pm they have bonfire prayers in Convent Field and then head back to The Kings Head. At 11pm they begin their final procession for bonfire prayers arriving at The King’s Head at 11.30pm for farewells and bonfire prayers.Tickets are available from the Information centre in Lewes.

• South Street Bonfire start their first procession at 5.45pm. They head up South street, on to School Hill and back down.

At 6.30pm their procession of Remembrance begins on South Street. From 7.10pm the society lay their wreath on the War Memorial in School Hill and proceed up to St Anne’s hill.

At 8.05pm they proceed to the Law Courts to ignite a street tableau then they will head down to Railway Land for the society’s firework display. At 10.20pm the Cliffe procession takes the society up to Malling Street roundabout, along Phoenix causeway to Library Corner.

From 10.45pm the society’s flaming tar barrel will lead members from South street around town and back to Cliffe Bridge where a token of the blazing barrel will be thrown into the River Ouse.

• Lewes Borough Bonfire kick off their first procession in Westgate Street at 6.10pm and march to the War Memorial.

From 6.30pm they march to their headquarters in White Lion Lane.

At 7.20pm the society march via the High Street to St Anne’s Crescent to join societies Commercial Square, Waterloo and Southover for the united grand fourth procession.

From 8.25pm the society marches to Cliffe Bridge to toss their burning barrel into the river and then return to White Lion Lane. At 9.30pm they march to the fire site at Landport Bottom to start their fireworks and bonfire.

From 11.30pm the grand finale takes members from White Lion Lane around town back to the White Hart Hotel for farewells and bonfire prayers.

• Commercial Square Bonfire Society have not yet published exact timings and locations of their processions yet.
• Their fire site will be at the Landport Recreation Ground.

Travel restrictions in and around Lewes will be put in place during the bonfire and fireworks celebrations.

Road closures from 16.45pm on 5 November 2018:

• A27 junction with A277 Brighton Road (Ashcombe Roundabout)
• A27 junction with A26 (Southerham Roundabout)
• A26 junction with B2192 Ringmer Road (Earwig Corner); C7 Kingston Road junction with C324 Wellgreen Lane
• A275 Offham Rd junction with B2116 Plumpton Road
• A27 junction with Southerham Lane (Cliffe Industrial Estate)

No trains will call at Lewes, Falmer, Glynde or Southease from 5pm on November 5 until the first timetabled trains on the morning of November 6.

Parking in the town will also be restricted from noon.

For those attempting to drive to Lewes bonfire, farms nearby have opened their fields for parking.

Spring Barn Farm, Kingston Rd, Lewes is about a 20-minute walk from Lewes town centre along a footpath and they are taking bookings for spaces now.

The travel restrictions are a joint decision between Lewes and East Sussex councils, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Sussex Police, Southern Railway, British Transport and East Sussex Highways.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “The decision to bring in travel restrictions has been made in the best interests of safety.

“We sincerely hope that those people who are inconvenienced will understand that and that they have the time to make alternative arrangements where possible.”

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have renewed their “stay local” campaign, an effort to encourage people from outside of Lewes to find a display closer to home.