Firle Place

Firle Place is a Manor house in Firle, East Sussex, United Kingdom and is the family seat of Nicolas Gage, 8th Viscount Gage, whose family the Viscounts Gage 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 French Chateau. 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, Canadian soldiers were quartered here.

Open to the public during the summer months, the house and grounds area also used as a film and television location, it has featured in shows, including the BBC's Jonathan Creek.

The house has been targeted by thieves on numerous occasions:

• 2001 - two antique tables worth more than £10,000 were stolen during an open day
• December 2004 - antiques worth £100,000 stolen
• July 2009 - estimated £1 million theft; thieves stole items, among which were a pair of identical Sèvres porcelain vases made in 1763, and a rare Hollandaise Nouveau vase.