The county of East Sussex, UK
East Sussex has got pretty much everything anyone could ask of an English county. Great history, fabulous countryside, plenty of attractions and a rich cultural life.
Many of East Sussex's three quarters of a million people live in and around the coastal resorts of Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea where new generations are discovering the charms of the Sussex seaside. New investment means that these grand old towns are becoming smarter.
Further east along the East Sussex shoreline, the ancient port of Rye is one of the best preserved historic coastal towns in England, even though it is now marooned inland by changes to the coastline. And the port of Newhaven is full of interest for those who love the sea.
Inland, East Sussex has charming historic towns like Lewes small market towns like Uckfield and Hailsham plus countless numbers of picturesque villages.
Culturally Brighton is the most happening place in East Sussex. Apart from London, Brighton is perhaps the most innovative and avant garde city in the United Kingdom with a host of musical, theatrical and artistic attractions.
East Sussex was the beachhead from which the Normans started their colonisation of England. Some of the oldest castles in the country date from this period with Bodiam Castle and Herstmonceux being outstanding examples.
The county has plenty of other historic buildings too, from Battle Abbey to the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, and comfortable stately homes and gardens like Batemans.
The seaside, the chalky South Downs and the gently rolling Sussex Weald are all within a short distance of one another.
And lovely Ashdown Forest in the north of the county is one of the finest heathlands in the south of England.
