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Why Rother

The district of Rother covers a vast area of stunning and varied countryside and coastline, offering a fantastic work-life balance

Rother is the most easterly district in East Sussex on the boundary of Kent. Rother covers the area immediately around but not including Hastings. Renowned for its medieval market towns with cobbled streets and beautiful stretches of sandy beach at Camber Sands. 

Approximately half of Rother’s population live in the coastal town of Bexhill-on-Sea, the other principal towns in the district being historic Battle, site of the Battle of Hastings, and the medieval Cinque Port of Rye. Rother is also home to many smaller villages such as Bodiam, Robertsbridge, Burwash and Northiam.

Like the whole of East Sussex, Rother has a wide and varied business base, with two-thirds of the district’s businesses being situated within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Being close to nature and in a relaxed environment, Rother supports good business practice and a healthy work-life balance.

The majority of businesses that make up the district are in health, leisure and tourism and the financial & professional services. However, there has been significant growth within the creative, digital and media industries, engineering and manufacturing as well as the food and drink sector. 

With rapidly improving superfast broadband over 95% in rural parts of the district, Rother is also home to a significant number of home workers who enjoy the benefits of the incredible location while avoiding the daily commute, meaning that for many, they can enjoy the reality of a rural base for their business.

Read More +
Rother District
Rother District

In this section

Rother District is home to High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The customer base here is so diverse, from young families visiting the beach to the older generation... the thing I love about Rye, is it’s unspoilt. It maintains its medieval feel and has a community who are proud of their heritage and still want to preserve it.”
Jens Knoop Founder of Knoops

Bexhill on Sea

Stylish coastal resort with an iconic Modernist pavilion. The De La Warr is a creative hotspot for contemporary culture, the arts and music on Bexhill’s elegant seafront.

Battle

Named after the most famous battle on English soil, this compact market town grew up alongside the 1066 battle site, tranquil medieval Abbey and surrounding woodlands.

Rye

Picturesque medieval cobbled town of Rye, now a myriad of art, artifacts, curiosities and cosy pubs. Rye Harbour saltmarsh and shingle shore is a wildlife haven.

Camber

Nowhere on the south coast is quite like Camber. Wide open stretches of sandy beach and dunes, popular throughout the year for leisure and location filming.

Bodium

Bodiam is famed for its majestic moated castle and rural valley setting. Its nostalgic history and gentle landscape come in quintessentially English form.

Travel Connectivity Travel Times

If you are looking for support to expand your business in Rother then please Get in Touch.

Getting Creative

Growth across industry sectors of creative, digital, media and tech is mirrored by the positioning of the county as a cultural centre with a full calendar of events, a dynamic café culture, a buzzing evening economy and exciting flagship venues.

Established in 1935 and based in Bexhill on Sea, The De La Warr Pavilion continues to be an iconic modernist pavilion which acts as a creative hotspot for contemporary culture, with a world class gallery and entetainment venue.

Rother is also home to several creative clusters and has seen Businesses in the creative sector rise 20% in the last 10 years*.

Creative centres include

Rye Creative Centre - A centre of creative excellence, home to 37 artists, designer-makers and creative companies.

Space to Make - A creative workspace just outside Tunbridge Wells offering a range of collaborative spaces. Space2make’s leafy, semi-rural location makes it a perfect setting for the creative industry, with good road and rail links.

Beeching Road Studios - Coming soon, These Six industrial units comprising 1,599 square metres have been transformed into artists studios and creative workspaces.

Flimwell Park - Unique office space and workshop facilities that have been designed to promote a healthy working environment.

Read More +
Creative Sector

Food and Drink Production

East Sussex is a county rich in artisan food and drink and the last few years have seen an unprecedented interest in our wine industry as well as wine and culinary tourism.

Rother is an area where these businesses are in abundance and thriving, from growers to manufacturers, to retailers.

Rother's coastline has a rich fishing heritage, acquired over many generations, whilst inland the varied soils are ideal for growing grapes for wine production.

Eighty-five percent of adults in East Sussex regularly enjoy an alcoholic drink. The drinks sector contributes significantly to our social and economic landscape, through not only wine production but that of Gin, and Beer as well.

Food and Drink Production

Space to expand

Bexhill Enterprise Park North industrial scheme

Westcott Leach has begun developing over 84,000 sq ft of light industrial floorspace, with development of an access road and utilities for the site ongoing this Winter/Spring 2021/2022.

Beeching Road Studios

Six industrial units comprising 1,599 square metres at Beeching Road Industrial Estate in Bexhill, transformed into artists studios and creative workspaces in the heart of Bexhill, East Sussex.

Flimwell Park

These woodland workspaces offer a unique office space or workshop facilities that have been designed to promote a healthy working environment. Perfect for artisan makers and other enterprises at all stages.

Space to Make

A brand new creative workspace just outside Tunbridge Wells offering a range of collaborative spaces for wood and metalwork, painting, CNC routing, laser cutting, and 3D printing.

Who's here?

Merchant & Mills

Rye

1940s-inspired sewing emporium filled with high-quality fabrics & accoutrements. Owners Carolyn Denham & Roderick Field Began.

Eggs to Apples

Hurst Green

Award-winning farm shop and café, selling the best, affordable local produce in Sussex and Kent. Founded by Susannah and Craig Hewett. 

Skinners of Rye

Rye

One of the longest established and growing businesses in Rye, trading for over 100 years, offers vehicle sales and repair services.

Kino Cinema

Rye

Independent cinema in the heart of Rye run by Kino Digital opened in 2015, boasting a two-screen cinema, a cafe-bar and function rooms.

Hastings Direct

Bexhill

One of the biggest employers in the South East, contrary to what the name suggests, the insurance giant's national HQ is in Bexhill.

Park Holidays

Bexhill

With over 42 holiday parks in the UK, Park Holidays is one of the largest holiday park operators in the UK, offering holidays, breaks as well as caravan and lodge ownership.

 

Soar Tour

Bexhill

A visitor attraction that uses Virtual Reality technology to give visitors the chance to soar the skies along the Sussex coastline, exploring our beautiful county from a whole new perspective.

Read their story

Knoops

Rye

A chain of Artisan drinking chocolate bars, that has expanded from its birthplace in Rye across the UK.

Read their story

Blackshed

Robertsbridge

BlackShed is a contemporary art space, representing some of the most significant national and international artists from the south coast.

Read their story

Oastbrook

Robertsbridge

Oastbrook Estate produces quality English still & sparkling wines, caters for events, and offers award winning accomodation.

Read their story

Arc Microtech

Ticehurst

ARC Microtech produce cutting-edge pain management healthcare products for both humans and animals, using research and development to make its products wearable.

Tillingham Wines

Rye

Tillingham Winery offers natural wine, seasonal food, and stylish rooms near Rye in East Sussex.

Case study spotlight

Oastbrook Estate – The Weald’s Hidden Fruits

Nestled in the heart of the High Weald near Bodiam, Oastbrook Estate is a winery and entertainment hub founded by America and Nick Brewer, an entrepreneurial couple who have made it Oastbrook’s mission to put their adopted East Sussex home and its businesses on the map.

Oastbrook Winery

Useful links

Rother District Council Visit 1066 Country Get in touch
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A hot chocolate revolution is sweeping the UK, and Knoops, from #EastSussex are leading the way.
Locate East Sussex were able to support Knoops with funding applications, securing a £25,000 loan for the expansion of their Hastings based factory.https://t.co/g4bV1OCQWS

— Locate East Sussex (@LocateESussex) March 14, 2022
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