East Sussex, administrative and geographic county of southeastern England, bordering the English Channel. The county’s administrative centre is in the town of Lewes.[1]
East Sussex is located predominantly on the south coast of England with around 140 miles of shoreline from Camber in the east to Chichester Harbor Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the west. Spanning 1,461 square miles, Sussex shares borders with Kent, Surrey and Hampshire. The South Downs National Park meets Sussex at its Hampshire border and stretches across more than half the county to Eastbourne. The Sussex county includes 1066 Country which includes the town of Battle where the famous 'Battle of Hastings in 1066' took place and from which the area now takes it name, the Wealden, which takes it name from the Old Forest that once filled much of the centre and north of the area, and Mid Sussex much of which is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[2]
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East Sussex landscape, industry, agriculture, and attractionsEast Sussex landscape, industry, agriculture, and attractions
East Essex County is characterized by a diverse landscape, from picturesque countryside to stunning coastlines. The region boasts rolling hills, tranquil valleys, and charming villages. Its eastern border is defined by the North Sea, offering sandy beaches, cliffs, and estuaries. The county also features areas of ancient woodland, such as Epping Forest, and picturesque landscapes like the Dedham Vale.[3] The manufacture of iron was the most important industrial activity in East Sussex until the middle of the 18th century. The Weald had everything needed for iron production, including iron ore, water, and timber. Essex, England has a diverse economy with a strong manufacturing base, a growing service sector, and a significant agricultural industry. Essex is home to the second largest advanced manufacturing cluster in the UK, with almost 4,000 companies and over 40,000 employees. The county has a history of manufacturing, including woolen goods, Roman cement, straw plaiting, calico printing, and silk.[4]
Agriculture is a major industry in Essex, England, and the region is known as Britain's breadbasket. Essex produces enough wheat to make 1.3 billion loaves of bread, and barley to make around 280 million pints of beer. Essex is also a major center for horticulture, growing peas, beans, apples, strawberries, salad crops, flowers, and shrubs. Essex supports prosperous livestock enterprises, including Britain's pig and poultry farms.[5] East Sussex has some of England's major attractions. First of these is the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Royal Pavilion at the Brighton and Hove Museums is a historic palace in Brighton with ornate interiors, guided tours, and a glimpse into Regency life. Camber Sands is a golden sand beach with shallow, warm waters, lifeguard patrols, and sandcastle building. Seven Sisters Country Park has scenic coastal walks, panoramic cliff top views, and opportunities for picnics and photography. Hastings Country Park is a 660-acre park where you can spot rare wildlife.
East Sussex historyEast Sussex history
The history of human habitation in Sussex goes back to the Old Stone Age. The oldest hominid remains in Britain were found at Boxgrove. East Sussex has since been occupied many times as the county’s location on the south coast meant it was subjected to various invasions and migrations throughout its long history.[6]
East Sussex has many traces of Roman occupation, including iron-working sites, a Roman palace, and a Roman road. The main reason the Romans came into Sussex, in AD 43 was to obtain the iron which had been exported by the Celts to Europe until the Roman invasion. Two dozen pre Roman Iron Working sites have been found, mostly in East Sussex including one at Bardown just north of Stonegate.[7]
Sussex was not just a county, but an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, with its own bishop, whose diocese shared a boundary with that of the secular powers. There is evidence that in some senses, Sussex was already sub-divided into East and West in the 7th century, when the territory began to be ruled by pairs of kings.[8]
The most famous invasion was by a Norman army from France, which led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This was a battle for the throne of England, between Harold – who had been crowned king nine months earlier – and Duke William of Normandy, who believed he was the rightful king.
Sussex has a history of smugglers who were centered around Rye. Contraband in wool from the thousands of Sussex sheep started in 1300, but it reached its heyday in 1614 when wool exports were declared illegal. Undeterred, smugglers worked under cover of Romney Marsh and it’s estimated that they secreted 20,000 packs of wool into France every year. They soon upgraded to finer goods including tea and it wasn’t until 1831 that the English Navy finally put an end to smuggling in East Sussex.
The 18th century marked a period of transformation for East Sussex, England. This era witnessed a shift from an agrarian-based economy to a more diversified one, with the growth of industries and the development of coastal towns.[9] In the 19th century, the Eastern Counties Railway connected London to Brentwood and Colchester in 1843, and the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway connected Fenchurch Street station to Grays, Tilbury, Southend-on-Sea, and Shoeburyness in 1884. These railways created holiday resorts like Southend, Clacton, and Frinton-on-Sea.[10]
The early 20th century saw significant suburban development, particularly with the establishment of the Becontree Estate in 1919 by the London County Council. This estate, mainly in Dagenham but also extending into Barking and Ilford, was one of the largest public housing projects in the world at the time. After World War II, East Essex experienced a period of reconstruction and modernization. and the county saw improvements in infrastructure, including the development of new roads and housing to accommodate the growing population.[11] The mid-20th century also brought economic changes, with a shift from traditional industries like agriculture to more service-oriented industries.[12]
East Sussex parishes and unparished areasEast Sussex parishes and unparished areas
There are 105 civil parishes in East Sussex. The districts of Eastbourne, Hastings and most of Brighton and Hove are unparished. This corresponds to the former districts of Eastbourne County Borough, Hastings County Borough, Hove Municipal Borough, Portslade by Sea Urban District and part of the former Brighton County Borough.[13] The late 20th century saw an increase in immigration, with people moving to East Essex for work, education, and a better quality of life.
East Sussex geographyEast Sussex geography
Sussex has three main geographic sub-regions, each oriented approximately east to west. In the southwest is the fertile and densely populated coastal plain. North of this are the rolling chalk hills of the South Downs, beyond which is the well-wooded Sussex Weald.[14]
East Sussex has three major land-types: the Weald, sitting on clay, farmed in small fields enclosed from the forest; the Downs, low chalk hills cut by north-south rivers, with a narrow belt of very rich soil at their foot; and the marsh, low-lying reclaimed land, to be found in the far east and the Pevensey Levels, where in the 19th century sheep out-numbered humans ten to one.[15] Coastal erosion, especially around Selsey Bill, has produced continual changes in the shoreline. In the southeast of the county, beyond Beachy Head, lie the reclaimed marshes of Pevensey Levels, historically an important point of entry into Britain for early invaders. A further line of cliffs lies along the coast eastward past Hastings.[16]
East Sussex has a climate with cold spells in winter and hot, humid weather in summer. The South Downs receive the most rainfall in the county.
Researching family history in East SussexResearching family history in East Sussex
The Sussex Family History Group supports research in family and local history within Sussex. The East Sussex Local and Family History has a list of websites for stating your family history. The Family History Directory has links to genealogy websites online for East Sussex. The Keep brings together the archives and collections of the University of Sussex, the East Sussex Record Office and The Brighton & Hove Museums.
Ethnicities in East SussexEthnicities in East Sussex
The demographic distribution of the East Sussex population is as follows:[17]
The population of East Sussex is 550,720 according to mid-2022 population figures published by the Office for National Statistics. East Sussex's population growth rate between mid-2021 and mid-2022 was 0.7% per year. East Sussex covers an area of 1,709 square kilometres (660 square miles) and has a population density of 322 people per square kilometre (km2), based on the latest population estimates taken in mid-2022.
According to the latest 2021 census, the population in East Sussex is predominantly white (94%), with non-white minorities representing the remaining 6% of the population.
Surnames in East SussexSurnames in East Sussex
Explore more about English CountiesExplore more about English Counties
MyHeritage.com has 351 collections that contain millions of English records that cover a huge variety of genealogical historical events that can help you find your ancestors. The MyHeritage Knowledge Base contains helpful information about genealogical research. The Legacy Family Tree Webinars website contains more than 2000 valuable genealogical webinars including over 50 webinars about English research.
See alsoSee also
- Administrative structure of England
- English genealogy
- English immigration
- English emigration
- English archives
- England historical records
- Vital records in England
- Birth records in England
- Death records in England
- Marriage records in England
- Census records in England
- Civil registrations in England
- Church records in England
- Newspaper records in England
- English military records
References
- ↑ East Sussex | England, Map, & Facts | Britannica
- ↑ Map of Sussex - Visit South East England
- ↑ Welcome to the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape
- ↑ Engineering & Manufacturing
- ↑ Agricultural facts: East of England region
- ↑ East Sussex history and heritage
- ↑ Wadhurst History Society | The Romans in Sussex
- ↑ East Sussex
- ↑ The Industrial Revolution: A Timeline of Key Dates and Developments - History Tools
- ↑ Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway
- ↑ Metropolitan Essex since 1919: Suburban growth | British History Online
- ↑ BBC - History - British History in depth: The Rural Exodus
- ↑ List of civil parishes in East Sussex explained
- ↑ Sussex 101 | England
- ↑ East Sussex
- ↑ Sussex | England, Map, Location, & History | Britannica
- ↑ East Sussex Demographics | Age, Ethnicity, Religion, Wellbeing
- ↑ Most Common Surnames in East Sussex, With Meanings