Get In
Touch
Property
Search
  • Home
  • About us
  • +How we can help you
    • Our Services
    • Funding
    • Invest in East Sussex
  • +Why East Sussex?
    • Top Ten Reasons
    • +Districts & Boroughs
      • Why Eastbourne?
      • Why Hastings?
      • Why Lewes?
      • Why Rother?
      • Why Wealden?
    • Education and Training
  • +Find the right property
    • Property search
    • Commercial property in East Sussex
    • Newhaven Enterprise Zone
  • +Industries
    • Manufacturing & Engineering
    • Creative & Digital
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Life Sciences
    • Retail & Logistics
    • Leisure & Lifestyle
  • Success stories
  • Latest
  • Get in touch
  • Coworking
  • Find My Focus
  • Map
  • Home
  • About us
  • +How we can help you
    • Our Services
    • Funding
    • Invest in East Sussex
  • +Why East Sussex?
    • Top Ten Reasons
    • +Districts & Boroughs
      • Why Eastbourne?
      • Why Hastings?
      • Why Lewes?
      • Why Rother?
      • Why Wealden?
    • Education and Training
  • +Find the right property
    • Property search
    • Commercial property in East Sussex
    • Newhaven Enterprise Zone
  • +Industries
    • Manufacturing & Engineering
    • Creative & Digital
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Life Sciences
    • Retail & Logistics
    • Leisure & Lifestyle
  • Success stories
  • Latest
  • Get in touch
  • Coworking
Close

What would you like to Search for?

Locate East Sussex Logo
  • Find My Focus
  • About Us
  • Funding
  • Success Stories
  • Map
  • Search
Menu
  • Menu 1
  • Menu 2

We use cookies on our site to give you a better experience. View our policy here. OK great!

With its breath-taking countryside and iconic coastline, Wealden district is an incredible place to live, work and visit.

Why Wealden

Wealden is the largest district in East Sussex covering 323 sq. miles.  It is home to over 158,900 residents and 8,600 businesses, and is just thirty miles south of London.

Half the population live in the five market towns of Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield, Polegate and Uckfield. The remainder live within the villages and hamlets amongst some of the most attractive countryside in the South East of England.

Wealden has a vibrant mix of urban and rural locations and shares its boundaries with six neighbouring local authorities stretching from just south of Tunbridge Wells (Kent) in the north to the boundary with Eastbourne in the south - a distance of some 30 miles.

Wealden District is the second most important contributor to the East Sussex visitor economy, in terms of total business turnover and the number of jobs it supports. 

The core appeal is the incredible lifestyle and work/life balance it offers and the beautiful, varied and natural landscapes from coastal cliffs, beaches and countryside to ancient woodland, forests and heathland. 

Communities across Wealden contain many innovative companies, home-based rural businesses and exciting enterprises. These come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from self-employed dog groomers through to companies manufacturing precision parts. 

A profusion of local craftsmen, artists and writers have found inspiration in Wealden - AA Milne, dramatist, novelist, journalist and children’s writer, who made Ashdown Forest famous as the place where the Winnie the Pooh stories were written;  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, novelist and writer of detective fiction and science fiction,  is world famous for the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Lee Miller, the American fashion model, portraitist, surrealist and WWII war correspondent who lived with Roland Penrose, the artist at Farley Farm, where Picasso stayed.

www.wealden.gov.uk

Read More +

Wealden District

Wealden DistrictCountryside is great

In this section

Rathfinny Wine Estate

Alfriston

England’s newest & largest vineyard covering 600 acres. By 2020, Rathfinny will produce about 1 million bottles of wine a year.

Hop Yard Brewing

Forest Row

Adam & Daphne are the owners of this microbrewery, bar & restaurant, live music venue with a yoga studio & a flower shop! Quirky, unusual with an industrial feel.

Enigma Bikes

Hailsham

Manufacturer of high-end titanium bike frames working with clients to engineer bespoke frames and finishes.

Pureprint

Uckfield

Winner of four national industry awards at the PrintWeek Awards 2017 including Bespoke Digital Printer of the Year & Fine Art Printer of the Year.

Urban Jump

Heathfield

Trampoline park and multi-activity centre, an all under one roof family entertainment solution.

Servomex

Crowborough

Servomex is the world leader in gas analysis: the expert provider of reliable, accurate and stable gas measurements to industries worldwide.

Mayfield Gin

Mayfield

Created by James Rackham, founder of artisanal spirits company, Emporia Brands, a liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Distillers and resident of Mayfield.

Aspen Pumps

Hailsham

Market leaders within pump technology and the air-conditioning industry with a focus on condensate pumps.

Gun Brewery

Hailsham

Brainchild of two friends Mark Berry and Toby Smallpiece. Microbrewery situated on a 140-acre organic mixed farm on rural Gun Hill.

Horder Healthcare

Crowborough

Leading healthcare charity specialising in orthopaedic and musculoskeletal services, supporting communities across the South East.

Starting a rural business

Wealden is classified as one of the most rural districts in England. Small and micro businesses form a fundamental part of the Wealden economy with 91% of businesses in Wealden employing less than 9 people (2015).

Many small businesses are run by those who are self-employed or who work from home, ranging from a window-cleaner or plumber or in small premises or retail outlets through to high-tech manufacturing firms. The main industries are food & drink, construction, creative and digital, engineering & manufacturing, and leisure and tourism.

Entrepreneurs looking for an alternative to urban living are attracted to Wealden because of the beautiful countryside and change of lifestyle. 

Read More +
There are many positive aspects to starting a rural business including the quality of life and high staff loyalty.
Viticulture

Viticulture In Wealden

Visitors to Wealden are now spending over £300 million a year making the most of the beautiful, varied and unspoilt landscapes.  Wine tourism is a growing market and is becoming ever more important, with Wealden emerging as a key area for viticulture due to its favourable climate, geography and soil.

There are around 18 vineyards covering a total area of approximately 365 acres in Wealden and given the environmental and landscape sensitivities, the district's emphasis is on developing a responsible tourism product with sustainability playing a key role.

Many award-winning producers are based in Wealden including Fox & Fox, Bluebell, Davenport, Rathfinny, Henners, Blackboys and Off the Line. 

The research, analysis and assessment suggests that wine-related tourism is an emerging product that has the potential to contribute to strengthening the region as a tourism destination which appeals to a variety of market segments.

The 2017 Economic Impact for Wealden Tourism produced the following key results

  • £342.6 million spent in the local area as a result of tourism 
  • £24 million spent on average in the local economy every month 
  • 7,182 tourism jobs directly supported 
  • 1,186 non-tourism related jobs supported 
  • 17.4% of the population is in tourism related employment
Read More +
Wealden is an emerging viticultural area due to favourable climate, geography and soils.

Polegate

Polegate is a town (8 km) north of the seaside resort of Eastbourne. Its Chaucer Industrial Business Park Estate is located on Dittons Road where the major part of Polegate's industrial businesses is located.

Polegate Town Council

Crowborough

Crowborough is the highest inland town in East Sussex, set within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and bordering the Ashdown Forest. Crowborough is a bustling place, with excellent supermarkets and numerous small, independent retailers, restaurants and cafes.

Crowborough Town Council

Heathfield

Heathfield is in the heart of East Sussex almost equidistant from Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne: approximately 16 miles (26 km). Historically, Heathfield lay on an ancient trackway (The Ridgeway), connecting the South Downs with the Weald. The annual Heathfield Agricultural Show takes place every May.

Heathfield & Waldron Parish Council

Hailsham

The largest market town in Wealden. The livestock market, together with the monthly Farmers Market and Friday Stall Markets, continue to serve the town and the wider rural economy. Swallow Business Park is located approximately 1.5 miles west of Hailsham with direct access to the A22.

Hailsham Town Council

Uckfield

Uckfield is a growing town, located between East Sussex’s coastal towns and Ashdown Forest this Wealden town is gaining in popularity.250 new homes have been built including 15 per cent affordable housing. Prices are much more affordable compared nearby Haywards Heath.

Uckfield Town Council

Pub Is The Hub

East Sussex County Council, Wealden District Council and Pub is the Hub are working together to encourage and support pubs who want to grow and expand into new services for their communities. Pub is the Hub is not-for-profit organisation supporting rural pubs that are thinking of broadening their range of services.

They encourage licensees, communities, pub owners, breweries, local authorities and the private sector to work together to match community needs with additional services which can be provided by the local pub.

The Roebuck Inn is the only pub in the village of Laughton, in East Sussex. It specialises in local produce and ales and was previously closed for two years before an extensive refurbishment. The pub has a large hall which was previously operated as a cabaret venue, with a sprung dance floor which was installed by the Canadian Airforce who were stationed nearby during the war. The area has a long association with the arts, Lee Miller’s home is nearby along with Charleston House, the country home of the Bloomsbury set, and Glyndebourne Opera House.

Pub is The Hub has supported the development of live theatre and performance at the pub with a grant from its Community Services Fund towards the creation of an adaptable, movable stage in the hall. Along with Pub is The Hub, licensees Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan are working with Applause Rural Touring and Inn Crowd in the provision of high quality touring theatre, music and literary projects at the Roebuck.

Read More +
The Royal Oak

Useful links

Visit Wealden Our services Funding Get in touch
Call us on 0300 343 5749 Lines are open: 10am - 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Email us

Get in touch

Fill in your details and one of our team will get in touch to discuss your needs.

Support as unique as your business.

Find Us

8th Floor Ocean House
87-89 London Road
St Leonards-on-Sea
East Sussex
TN37 6LW

Call Us
0300 343 5749 (8.30am - 5pm Monday-Thursday, 08.30am-4.30pm Friday)
Email Us
enquiries@locateeastsussex.org.uk
Follow Us
Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn
Stay up to date
Join our
mailing list
@LocateEastSussex

We've just released our newsletter - from checking out beautiful Sussex vineyards to LEGO, catch up with all the recent highlights in just one space!https://t.co/nZLbahJavQ pic.twitter.com/VgswNdMqIK

— Locate East Sussex (@LocateESussex) November 21, 2019
View our Twitter
© Locate East Sussex 2018
Terms Privacy Cookies Sitemap
© Locate East Sussex 2018