About Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society is a volunteer-led community organisation representing the villages of Ewhurst and Staplecross in East Sussex.
Centred particularly around Staplecross, the society organises an annual torchlit procession, bonfire and fireworks display towards the end of October. It is a distinctly village celebration, with members, families and volunteers working throughout the year to raise funds and prepare for the event.
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society also has a strong charitable purpose. Collections made during Bonfire are distributed to local good causes, continuing the close relationship between the society and the community it represents.
Bonfire in Staplecross
The annual Ewhurst & Staplecross celebration takes place in Staplecross, with the procession travelling out of the village towards Cripps Corner before returning.
Rather than simply processing once to the firesite, the route gives spectators several opportunities to see the procession as it travels through the village.
Flaming torches illuminate the road as Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society is joined by visiting societies and other participants.
The procession eventually makes its way to the Bonfire Field in Staplecross, where the enormous bonfire is lit before the evening concludes with the fireworks display.
The Junior Procession
One particularly important feature of Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire is its Junior Procession.
Held shortly before the main torchlit procession, it gives younger members an opportunity to take part in the village celebration and become involved with the society from an early age.
It is a fitting tradition for a village society where maintaining Bonfire depends upon new generations becoming interested and eventually taking on the work performed by today's volunteers.
For 2026, the Junior Procession begins at 6:45pm, ahead of the main procession through Staplecross.
The Harlequins
One of the most distinctive costumes historically associated with Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society is the Harlequin.
Harlequin is a character with roots in the Italian commedia dell'arte tradition and became instantly recognisable through brightly coloured clothing decorated with contrasting diamond patterns.
That makes for particularly effective Bonfire costume, with the bold geometric designs standing out among the more military, historical and occupational costumes adopted by many other societies.
Ewhurst & Staplecross has been documented as using Harlequins as its principal Bonfire costume, giving the society a colourful and unusual identity when processing away from home.
I haven't found a reliable society source explaining why Harlequins were originally selected, so it would be misleading to attach a local historical explanation to the choice without further evidence.
More Than 100 Flaming Torches
The scale of a village Bonfire can sometimes be deceptive.
For its 2026 Grand Procession, Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society describes more than 100 flaming torches taking part before the lighting of the huge bonfire and the fireworks display.
Each of those torches represents work undertaken before Bonfire Night itself, alongside the many other preparations required for the procession and firesite.
It is that volunteer effort that transforms Staplecross for one autumn evening each year.
Charity and Community
Fundraising for local causes is an important part of Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society.
Money collected in the buckets on Bonfire Night is distributed among local charities, rather than simply disappearing into the cost of staging the following year's event.
The society brings the charitable side of its year to a particularly appropriate conclusion in December.
At its traditional Carol Service at St Mark's Church in Staplecross, the society presents cheques to the local organisations it has supported. The 2026 Carol Service takes place on Saturday 5 December.
That connection between October's Bonfire and December's charitable giving provides a good example of the community purpose behind the society.
Part of Village Life
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society is also involved in the wider life of the parish.
In 2025, for example, the society was involved with local events commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day, working alongside other village organisations. Ewhurst Parish Council also awarded the society a £1,000 grant that year.
The society also has representation among the organisations connected with Ewhurst & Staplecross Village Hall, demonstrating its established place among the community groups serving the parish.
These connections are particularly important for a village society, where Bonfire relies heavily upon the goodwill and involvement of the surrounding community.
On the Road
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society does not restrict its activities to its own celebration.
Members travel to support other societies during the season, taking the Ewhurst & Staplecross name and costumes to processions elsewhere.
That tradition is not particularly new. Archive material from Battel Bonfire Boyes records Ewhurst & Staplecross attending Battle during the 1980s, demonstrating that the society has been part of the visiting Bonfire circuit for decades.
The tradition continues today, with Ewhurst & Staplecross appearing among the visiting societies at events including Hastings.
Membership
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society welcomes new members who would like to become involved.
Members meet regularly in Staplecross, with monthly meetings traditionally taking place on the first Monday of the month.
There are opportunities to participate in the home celebration, attend other Bonfire events and help with the considerable amount of preparation and fundraising required throughout the year.
The Junior Procession also provides an important route for younger members to become part of the tradition, helping ensure that the society continues to have volunteers and participants in years to come.
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire 2026
The 2026 Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire takes place on Saturday 31 October.
The Junior Procession begins at 6:45pm, followed by the main torchlit procession through Staplecross and towards Cripps Corner. The procession then returns through the village before heading for the Bonfire Field.
The giant bonfire is scheduled to be lit between approximately 8:45pm and 9pm, with the fireworks display following.
It promises to be a particularly atmospheric date for the society – in 2026, Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire falls on Halloween itself.
A Village Tradition
Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society demonstrates the important role a Bonfire society can play within a small rural community.
Its celebration may take place on one autumn evening, but behind it lies a year of meetings, fundraising, preparation, charitable work and support from volunteers.
The Harlequins give the society a distinctive costume tradition, while the Junior Procession helps introduce another generation to Bonfire. The collections made during the main event ultimately return to the community through donations to local organisations.
And when the society takes to the road, Ewhurst and Staplecross are represented at celebrations well beyond the parish.
On 31 October 2026, those traditions will come together once again as the torches travel from Staplecross towards Cripps Corner and back, before the giant bonfire and fireworks bring another year of Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society to its spectacular conclusion.