Why Wealden
 

A diverse rural economy

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