Lewes Bonfire from the South Downs

Something I've been meaning to do for ages is to photograph some fireworks. This year I finally decided to do it and what better place to go than the biggest of all bonfire celebrations... Lewes Bonfire.

I wanted to capture the whole event rather than just one or two locations, so decided to head up onto the South Downs and overlook the entire town. I found a footpath map and planned a route up over the downs to find the ideal location. I've never been anywhere near that spot before, so finding it in the dark was a bit of a challenge! Luckily it all came together perfectly and here is the finished result:

I can honestly say it was one of the best bonfire experiences I've ever had. Looking over Lewes and seeing the red and orange glow of the processions, as well as the blazing bonfires and hearing the firecrackers and loud explosions is something I can't really put into words. Once the fireworks started it then got even better.

The viewpoint from up on the South Downs is on the East side of the town. It allows you to see everything from the Cliffe Bonfire site, to the Lewes Borough bonfire site in the distance. The photo below shows a close up of Cliffe bonfire and South Street fireworks from the panorama above.

As the evening went on you could see the the torches and flares going up and down the High Street, eventually heading to the different bonfire sites to light the bonfires. Below is a close up of the processions in the High Street from the panorama at the top of the page.

The great thing about being up on the Downs was the high viewpoint. This meant that you could see every firework that was set off, so I managed to see a fair amount of fireworks! The below photograph shows a close up of Commercial Square and Waterloo firework displays, taken from the panorama at the top of the page.

Below are a few more photographs of the Lewes Bonfire celebrations taken from up on the Downs that night.

If you like the panorama of Lewes Bonfire you can click here to purchase standard and framed prints.

Photographs taken from the South Downs of Lewes Bonfire in East Sussex, November 5th 2016.