East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex and, to the south, by the English Channel.

The ancient kingdom of Sussex had separate county administrations since the 12th century, with the county town of the eastern division being Lewes [1]. This situation was formalised by Parliament in 1865, and the two parts were given distinct elected county councils in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888.

In East Sussex there were three self-administered county boroughs: Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. In 1974 the East Sussex was made a ceremonial county also, and the three county boroughs became districts within the county. At the same time the western boundary was altered, so that the Mid Sussex region (including Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath) was transferred to the administrative county of West Sussex.

In 1997, Brighton & Hove became a self-administered unitary authority and was eventually granted city status in 2000.

History

East Sussex is part of the ancient kingdom of the South Saxons, who established themselves here in the 5th Century AD, after the departure of the Romans, although the area had been populated for many thousands of years before then. Archaeological remains are plentiful, especially on the upland areas. The area's position on the coast have also meant that there were many invaders, including the Romans and the Normans. Earlier industries have included fishing, iron-making, and the wool trade, all of which declined, so that, in more modern times Sussex has become popular with tourists, so that the main towns are seaside resorts. :see the main article History of Sussex

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of East Sussex at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

	Agriculture	Industry	Services
1995	4,359	84	1,053	3,222
2000	4,953	54	1,155	3,744
2003	5,326	69	1,252	4,004

includes hunting and forestry

includes energy and construction

includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding

Geography

Geology

From a geological point of view East Sussex is part of southern anticline of the Weald: the South Downs, a range of moderate chalk hills which run across the southern part of the county from west to east and mirrored in Kent by the North Downs. To the north lie parallel valleys and ridges, the highest of which is the Weald itself (the Hastings beds and Wealden Clay). The sandstones and clays come the sea at Hastings; the Downs at Beachy Head.::''see the map at Geology of the British Isles

Relief and drainage

The relief of the county reflects the geology.

The coast

From west to east along the coast between Brighton and Eastbourne are the gradually rising chalk uplands, with breaks at Newhaven where the River Ouse enters the sea; and likewise at Cuckmere Haven. The cliffs beyond here are named the Seven Sisters, Sussex, and are the remnants of dry valleys cut into the chalk; they end at Beachy Head, 162m (530ft) above sea level. To the east of Beachy Head lie the marshlands of the Pevensey Levels, formerly flooded by the sea but now enclosed within deposited beach. At Bexhill the land begins to rise again where the sands and clays of the Weald meet the sea; these culminate in the sandstone cliffs east of Hastings. Further east are the Pett Levels, more marshland; this followed by the estuary of the River Rother. On the far side of the river is Camber Sands.

Inland

The southern part of the county is dominated by the South Downs; its highest point is Firle Beacon, 217m (712 ft) above sea level. The northern part is dominated by the High Weald. Between the Downs and Weald is a narrow stretch of lower lying land, before the southern slopes of the Weald, through which the rivers mentioned above flow. The highest point in the county is Ditchling Beacon, at 248m/814ft. It is also a Marilyn.

Settlements

Towns

Apart from Lewes, the county's administrative centre, the principal towns in East Sussex are concentrated along the coastal strip. From west to east they are:
* Peacehaven
* Newhaven
* Seaford
* Eastbourne
* Bexhill-on-Sea
* St Leonards-on-Sea
* Hastings
* RyeLarger towns and villages include:
* Uckfield
* Crowborough
* Hailsham
* Heathfield
* Battle

Villages

* For a complete list of the dozens of villages in East Sussex see here.
* Website containing details (including historical) of 240 villages in East Sussex

Communications

Roads

The main roads through the county are those part of the radial pattern from London, including the A21 to Hastings; and the A22 to Eastbourne. There are two coastal routes: the older A259, and the A27 trunk road which begins north of Eastbourne and takes traffic away from the towns.

Railways

The railways serve the main towns in a similar fashion to the roads. Until the closures of many branch railways in the 20th century, East Sussex was well-served by rail. The services today include the East Coastway Line; the London-Hastings line; and the Uckfield branch. The Kent and East Sussex Railway heritage railway operates from Tenterden in Kent to Bodiam.