Firle place wedding
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| Firle in East Sussex or more correctly West Firle lies just off the main A27 Eastbourne to Lewes road. It is mentioned as part of the Abbey of Wilton in the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042 - 1066) this manor was of great value, and in 1066 after the conquest the manor was given to the Count de Mortain who had control of the castle at Pevensey . The ownership of the manor was held by the Lyvett family from the early 1300's until 1440 when the land was passed to the bolney family, whose daughter Agnes married William Gage and in turn the land passed to the Gage family. Their son Sir John Gage took over some more of the nearby manors when his wife's father Sir Thomas St Clere died in 1446. The family continued in the local manors until 1479 when the second Sir John Gage was born, who was made a ward of the Duke of Buckingham when his father died in 1497. This Sir John was brought up for the court, and in 1513 accompanied Henry VIII on his expedition to France. Because of his prowess in Battle he was appointed Vice-Chamberlain to the King. Sir
By Deborah Gage Firle derives from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Fierol’ or oak covered land. The village nestles in the lee of Firle Beacon, with the South Downs providing some of the most spectacular scenery in Southern England. They embody an unusual yet intangible spiritual quality, evidenced by the tumuli and barrows and an ancient pathway which runs along the ridge above the village, and that has inspired a ribbon of life since prehistoric days in Britain. Later, this landscape was celebrated by Belloc, Kipling and Edward Thomas for its evocative vistas. While the Downs have provided settlements since the earliest times, commencing with migrating tribes, this evolved into a more permanent existence by the 15th century. When Sir John Gage KG (1479-1556) inherited the manorial rights in 1501 upon the death of his mother, Agnes, and built his seat and power base at Firle, as a result of successful sheep farming the estate prospered and grew. The population (which was greater than it was today) lived close to the soil, embracing the skills and crafts for existence in a remote
Firle PlaceManor house in East Sussex, England Firle Place is a manor house in Firle, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The Gage family have owned the land at Firle since acquiring it from the Levett family in the 15th century. The manor house was first built in the late 15th century by Sir John Gage, who made Firle Place his principal home. He held many high offices, including Constable of the Tower and was an executor of Henry VIII's will. The external cladding of the building is Georgian, using Caen Stone to make it look like a classical FrenchChateau. This work was completed by Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet who inherited the house in 1713 and the house is set in typically open parkland. The interior of the house however is Tudor in style and circulates around a central courtyard. The house has an extensive collection of paintings, porcelain and furniture, including works by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Van Dyck, Raphael, Puligo, Zoffany and Teniers. During World War I, students from the nearby Southover Manor School in Lewes were housed here, and during World War II, Cana Copyright ©spyalley.pages.dev 2025 |