Free bonfire night at Saint Hill Manor draws more than 3,700 visitors

More than 3,700 people attended the annual free Bonfire Night celebration at Saint Hill Manor on Sunday 8 November, hosted by the Church of Scientology. Tickets, released online in advance, were booked by residents of 163 towns across the surrounding region.

The bonfire was lit at 5 pm before a large crowd, with fairground rides, food stalls and fire pits open throughout the evening. Younger visitors toured the "Magic Trail" through the Manor's Dell, and a marshmallow-and-chocolate "s'mores" stall — a first for the event — sold out before the night ended.

To ease parking pressures, free shuttle buses ran between East Grinstead High Street and the Manor every ten minutes from 3:30 to 6:30 pm.

"We were really delighted with the evening," said Church spokesperson Graeme Wilson. "It's such a pleasure hosting these events and seeing so many families having a great time. Despite the very high turnout, it all went really smoothly. Running the free pick-ups from East Grinstead kept traffic down and made arrival and departure easier for everyone. And thank you to all the volunteers for helping to organise the evening!"

One family had a young boy who was attending Bonfire Night for the first time. They were invited to the Festive Season Lights Switch-On and the ice rink, and with big smiles, said they will absolutely come back.

Admission to the event was free of charge.

The next community event at Saint Hill Manor is the Festive Season Lights Switch-On, taking place on Saturday 28 November.