East Sussex

I

Introduction

East Sussex, county, south-eastern England, bounded on the north by Surrey and Kent, on the south by the English Channel, on the east by Kent, and on the west by West Sussex. The county was formed under the local government reforms of 1974 and comprises most of the former administrative county of East Sussex (see Sussex). In a new round of local government reforms, implemented on April 1, 1997, the boroughs of Brighton and Hove, on the county’s south-western border with West Sussex, were administratively separated from East Sussex and became a new administrative area, Brighton and Hove unitary authority. East Sussex has a geographical area of 1,795 sq km (693 sq mi); the area administered by the county council (that is, excluding Brighton and Hove unitary authority) is 1,714 sq km (662 sq mi). The county is largely rural, except for the resort towns on the coast; its countryside is pleasantly undulating, with market towns and many attractive villages. Lewes is the county’s administrative centre.

II

Land and Resources

East Sussex is crossed by the chalk ridge of the long range of uplands forming the South Downs. At the coast the chalk forms spectacular cliffs that run from Brighton to the famous Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, 175 m (575 ft) high, to the west of Eastbourne. North of the Downs is the High Weald of Sussex. Based on clays and sandstones, this undulating countryside includes Ashdown Forest, the largest area of heathland vegetation in south-eastern England and one of the most important semi-natural wildlife habitats in Britain. To the east of Beachy Head are the Pevensey Levels, a marshy area that originally consisted of a group of small islands surrounded by tidal mud flats. The county’s 76 km (47 mi) of coastline is varied: cliffs, such as the Seven Sisters and the sandstone cliffs of Fairlight, alternate with the flat, shingle beaches of Pevensey Bay and Bexhill. East of Rye the coastal land is again marshy. In early 1999 thousands of tonnes of rubble fell away from the chalk cliff face at Beachy Head, extending the beach by 30 m (100 ft) to the old lighthouse.

The High Weald (including Ashdown Forest) and the Sussex Downs have both been designated by the Countryside Agency as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Some 10 km (6 mi) of coastline have been designated Heritage Coast, and the few areas where the countryside meets the sea—between Seaford and Eastbourne, the Pevensey Levels, and the Rye Harbour area—are protected. The South Downs Way runs across the county from Westmeston as far as Eastbourne.

The principal rivers of the county are the Ouse, which reaches the English Channel at Newhaven; the Cuckmere, with its mouth at Cuckmere Haven; and the Rother, which for a short distance forms the boundary with Kent before passing through Rye to the Channel.

The climate of East Sussex is mild. Average rainfall over the county is in the region of 760 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in), although near the Kent border it may be somewhat less.

III

Wildlife

Ashdown Forest is important for its heathland and birds, and is also home to fallow deer, badgers, foxes, and to all manner of smaller mammals, such as stoats, weasels, and voles. Its birdlife includes hawks, owls, finches, and warblers. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is internationally important for birds, including the rare little tern, and also has a wide variety of rare insects and plants. More generally, the Weald is significant for its dense cover of ancient woodlands, rich in wildlife, while the South Downs are noted for their flower-rich downland pastures—some of the most diverse habitats in the country.

IV

Population and Administration

The population of the geographical county of East Sussex is around 740,100, of whom about 492,324 (2001) live in the area administered by the county council. The majority of the population lives along the coast. Brighton and Hove unitary authority (2001, 247,820) is totally urban. Within the area administered by East Sussex county council, 58 per cent of the population lives along the coastal shelf, including the main towns of Eastbourne (2001, 89,667) and Hastings (2001, 85,027), as well as the smaller settlements of Bexhill (1991, 38,905), Peacehaven (1991, 16,517), Newhaven (1991, 11,208), and Seaford (1991, 19,622). Another 18 per cent lives in inland market towns. These include Battle (1991, 5,235), Crowborough (1991, 19,563), Hailsham (1991, 18,426), Lewes (2001, 92,187), Rye (1991, 3,708), and Uckfield (1991, 13,531). The remainder of the population is rural. East Sussex generally is a favourite retirement area; Eastbourne in particular has one of the highest proportions of retired people in Britain. In-migration of young families has reduced the proportion of the population aged over 65 to 26 per cent from 29 per cent in the early 1980s, but it still has the highest proportion of people aged over 75 of any county in the country.

Until April 1, 1997, East Sussex was administered by a county council, based in Lewes, and seven second-tier local authorities, comprising four borough councils (Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Hove) and three district councils (Lewes, Rother, and Wealden). On that date Brighton and Hove boroughs were merged to form a single, unitary authority, Brighton and Hove Council, which is responsible for all local government services in its area, including those previously provided by the county council. The exceptions are the fire service and the police. Previously run by the county council, the fire service has become a separate, combined fire authority. Sussex Police is the police authority for the whole of East and West Sussex and has its headquarters in Lewes. The administrative changes were implemented as a result of the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, which was established under 1992 legislation to review the structure of local government in England. The rest of the county has retained the two-tier structure; the county council’s administrative area now relates to the five remaining boroughs and districts. A Crown Court sits at Lewes.