The beautiful village of Firbeck nestles in a valley surrounded by agricultural land and woodland. Its pretty name arrives through a series of derivations from Firebec in the twelfth century to Ferbecke in the sixteenth century. It is generally accepted as meaning ‘woodland stream’. There is a mix of historically interesting buildings and twentieth century buildings.
At the heart of the village is the grade 2 listed church of St. Martins which has several fine stained glass windows and interesting hatchments and monuments, including some to the St Leger family. Anthony St Leger was the founder of the famous race in 1776 and the original racecourse was in an oval field above the village.
Firbeck Village Hall was substantially renovated and reopened in 2010 thanks to generous grants from the Big Lottery Fund and WREN. The Village Hall Committee exists to administer the operation and maintenance of the Hall, to organise events and fundraising and to act as a resource for our vibrant community. Many weekly groups take place and annual events such as a scarecrow weekend, a barbeque and a strawberry tea. The village hall is also available to hire for private events.
The Black Lion is a traditional little country inn which boasts a menu featuring fine gastro pub food alongside some pub classics. They keep some great beers and their focus is to create an environment where drinkers and diners feel welcome.
Firbeck Hall has a fascinating history and is hopefully to be restored to provide modern dwellings within the shell of the original structure. The Friends of Firbeck Hall is a voluntary group dedicated to encouraging the sympathetic restoration of Firbeck Hall. They are also researching the history of the village and publish three newsletters a year outlining their latest findings.