A towering 25 foot pile of burning leaves, branches and wood is not something that an everyday member of public is accustomed to seeing, but at the beginning of November every year, the inhabitants of the small, rustic village of Brockham gather for one of the greatest experiences Surrey has to offer, The Brockham Bonfire.

The origins of this legendary spectacle date back to before 1888 when a photograph was taken of ‘Bonfire Boy’ L. Gillam exploring the effort, time and cost the volunteers dedicate to the fire.

These volunteers build the bonfire over six weekends with many helping to build the bonfire whilst others go around the local houses and collect hedge clippings and wood left out by the locals in support of the event.

The infamous ‘Guy’ at the top of the bonfire is also built during the build up to the event, it is mainly made from old curtains and recycled items from the village and the frame is designed by a local carpenter.

The guy is a towering, caricature model of Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 5th of November 1605, however, it is not lifelike enough to scare or upset the tens of thousands of onlookers at the thought of burning a human.

A procession of 500 torches and most of the onlooker parades around the entirety of the village and escorts the guy to his resting point on top of the fire and is led on by the ‘Red Devil’, one of the honoured bonfire boys or girls.

When the Guy, marching band, and the Guy’s escorts first arrive on Brockham Green they fix the Guy to the top of the bonfire and then ask the several hundred torch bearers to lay their torches at the base of the bonfire to watch it go up in flames.

Once fully lit, onlookers’ attentions are gradually drawn away from the bonfire to the locals more entertaining traditions like the brilliant firework display and the ‘Prime Roast Pork’.

Over five tons and £50,000 of fireworks are fired into the sky during the 12-minute firework display that over fifty more volunteers took days to set out, but the hard efforts of these men and women are rewarded by fascinated oo’s and ah’s of the crowd.

The ‘Prime Roast Pork’ is one of the oldest traditions of the Brockham Bonfire, dating back to the 1930’s, when they had the roasting of the ‘two  tailed pig’, the Pig Roasters work all day to ensure a perfectly cooked pig before joints of the succulent meat are auctioned off after the firework display.

"As well as being a spectacular event the Brockham Bonfire really brings the community together across the generations."

"It’s not just about the fun of the event itself but how in the weeks before volunteers turn up week after week to build the bonfire and significant donations are made to charity each year."

This year, in 2024, the Brockham Bonfire will be taking place on Saturday 2nd November with car parks opening at 16:30 and the procession reaching Brockham Green at 19:45, however, roads will close at 17:30 so make sure to be there on time or it is a long walk from the A25.