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The county of East Sussex historically formed a part of the county of Sussex with present-day West Sussex. Today, it is one of the most sought-after places to live in the UK due to its great variety of landscapes, astonishing countryside, and vibrant coastal cities. This article is for you if you’re looking for the best places to live in East Sussex.
Whether you’re in East Sussex for business, education, retirement, or even seeking a quiet place to raise children, we’ve got you covered. This historical county has something for people of all ages.
Table Of Contents
Top 10 Best Places To Live In East Sussex
With the south being just over an hour from London and the north less than an hour, it’s easy to see why many want to live in East Sussex. If you are considering whether you should purchase property or rent here, our list contains the best of everything East Sussex has to offer.
1. Rye
Rye is a small market town on the East Sussex coast. With the Rye Castle guarding over it, it is a welcoming haven for writers and creatives, especially in the winter, due to its cobbled streets, historic buildings and abundance of cafes, restaurants and antique and independent shops.
In fact, it has been named the most naturally beautiful town in England. However, Rye is not merely a pretty face: if you are looking to move, you can certainly get better property prices than in London.
2. Eastbourne
A getaway to Britain’s newest national park, the South Downs, Eastbourne is also the principal industrial centre of East Sussex and a growing centre for digital technology.
There’s an abundance of things to do in Eastbourne, which makes the seaside town great for anyone looking for a great work-life balance. It offers everything from a promenade, shops, parks, Beachy Head and Seven Sisters cliff-top walks to water sports like windsurfing, paddle boarding and canoeing.
If you are looking to settle with your family and purchase property, just take a look at Eastbourne’s family-friendly suburbs, full of Victorian and Edwardian homes, as well as modern apartment developments such as Sovereign Harbour.
East Sussex’s weather features more sunlight than the UK average.
3. Lewes
Lewes is a historic market town in the middle of South Downs National Park, as well as an administrative centre for East Sussex. It owes its independent spirit to the collision of history, culture and easy access to green spaces, with its Glyndebourne Opera House and Bluebell Railway.
Lewes is famous for its annual bonfire celebration.
Despite the property prices being above average for the UK, Lewes is a great place to live due to its diversity in terms of leisure content. It offers good education and has direct trains to most of the nearby larger cities (the drive to London Victoria is just over an hour).
There is a great selection of primary schools here, all rated as ‘good’, and it is home to a Priory School. Brighton College is nearby as well.
4. Lindfield
Lindfield is a magnificent semi-rural village with historic buildings and architectural heritage. The High Street is dotted with historic and mediaeval houses, while the proximity of Haywards Heath allows it to take advantage of the transport links to London and Brighton. Lindfield Pond is where most local amenities are, and it hosts events like fairs, festivals and sporting activities.
Lindfield is perfect for people who want to enjoy the quiet countryside.
It has a wide choice of good schools, both private and state – Warden Park and Oathall Schools in Haywards Heath, for example. Sitting in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and not far from Ashdown Forest, Lindfield offers sporting activities with cricket, football and bowling clubs.
5. Alfriston
The exceptionally picturesque Alfriston is said to be among the most beautiful villages in England. Its Alfriston Clergy House was the first building in Britain saved by the National Trust for Conservation in 1896. The Clergy House walk remains the most popular strolling route here.
Local amenities include independent shops, restaurants, and traditional pubs; the latter is explained by the fact that the village did attract a great number of monks as well as smugglers historically since it used to sit on the Medieval pilgrim’s way from Battle Abbey to Chichester.
Much Ado Books, one of the most enchanting bookshops in the country, is located in a converted barn. The village has its own primary school, a good nearby secondary school in Eastbourne, and an excellent private school at Upper Dicker.
Train links to London require a trip to nearby Polegate, but the Sussex Coast and Eastbourne are within a stone’s throw away.
6. Seaford
Seaford is a coastal town sitting at the foot of the South Downs, with views of the Seven Sisters cliffs from the Seaford Head, as well as the non-commercialised Seaford seafront that the town is especially proud of.
Seaford is home to several sports clubs: golf, cricket, rugby, football, bowling, and sailing, encouraging an entirely active life. What’s more, the town is ideally placed for walking with some fantastic local landmarks such as Cuckmere Valley. Seaford Head Golf Course provides some of the most breathtaking views in Sussex.
There are regular buses along the coast to Eastbourne, Brighton and Alfriston, and there’s a mainline station that connects the town to London via Lewes or Brighton. Independent schools nearby include Eastbourne College and Bedes, making this tranquil sea resort a perfect place for settling down.
7. Hurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint is one of those East Sussex villages with a strong sense of community and a pretty and bustling high street lined with period properties. Nearby to the south are the South Downs, Brighton and the beach. The village hosts its very own two-week festival as well as one of the oldest English village fairs.
The nearest state secondary school is in Hassocks, but the village has a private secondary school with a great reputation, Hurstpierpoint College.
From the nearby Hassocks village, London is within less than an hour’s reach if needed, but with several independent shops in the village and the options to spend the day in nature with family at Washbrooks Family Farm or Butcher’s Wood, there is no need to leave the peace of country life if you don’t want to.
8. Ditchling
Ditchling lies just outside of Brighton, within the South Downs National Park. The village traces its origins back to well before the Romans. However, Ditchling was first recorded in 765, before its lands were owned by King Alfred the Great.
It has several points of interest, including the Old Meeting House, the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft, two Sites of Special Scientific Interest as well as its own Film Society and the Ditchling Singers.
The Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft is dedicated to 20th-century artists who settled in the parish, such as Raymond Briggs, Ethel Mairet, Edward Johnston and David Jones.
The local state school is Downlands Community School in Hassocks, while other good schools in close reach are Hurstpierpoint College and Burgess Hill School for Girls, both private schools.
9. Mayfield
The village of Mayfield is set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and stands out with its interesting history and legends: Mayfield’s local saint, St. Dunstan, confronted the devil disguised as a young woman and pinched its nose with hot tongs. The devil then fled to Royal Tunbridge Wells and doused his burnt nose with the spring water.
Being a sleepy rural hamlet has its advantages. Apart from peace, Mayfield has ample locally sourced fare to offer, with local wine and gin being the first that catch the eye, as well as the award-winning cheese.
With an independent Roman Catholic girls’ school, the prestigious Tonbridge School close by, and the ‘well above average’ Beacon Academy in neighbouring Crowborough, Mayfield is among the best places to live in Sussex for people with kids.
10. St Leonards
St Leonards-on-Sea (or St Leonards) is a town and seaside resort in the Borough of Hastings. It’s famous for its architecture, claimed to be the most magnificent in all of East Sussex, with the popular Royal Victoria Hotel and the Clock House, as well as many of the seafront houses located along what is now known as The Marina.
St Leonards was built specifically as a seaside resort, so if you are looking for an escape and a quiet way of life in a friendly and lively community, this is the place to search.
Bonus Pick: Hove
Hove is a historical part of East Sussex County, presently part of Brighton and Hove, and easily one of the best places to live in Brighton. It is a peaceful but diverse part of the city, perfect for families, couples and singletons.
Brighton is home to one of the largest marinas in Europe, the Brighton Marina.
Hove is packed with well-maintained parks, regency homes, shops, quaint, independent cafes, as well as fine dining restaurants, such as MasterChef: The Professionals champion Seven Edward’s Etch in Hove.
Transport is as convenient as it gets, with connections to the main roads, a reliable network of buses, train links to London Victoria, and cycling lanes all over the city. Hove also offers excellent school, college and university choices.
The Cost Of Living In Sussex
The average prices of property in the counties of East and West Sussex are fairly high. In West Sussex in September 2023, the average was £454,000, and the national average was £357,000. In East Sussex, it’s slightly lower – £439,000. Both are lower than the average price in London, but this depends greatly on the area. In Ditchling, for example, the average cost of a house is above £700,000.
The general cost of living in East and West Sussex also depends on the area in question. In Eastbourne, for example, you can have the same standard of living at £3,800 as someone who spends £6,036 monthly in London. Monthly costs in Eastbourne add up to around £150, and in Brighton and Worthing, the average person needs £1700.
What Is The Safest Town Or City In East Sussex?
Wealden is the safest town or city in East Sussex. Moreover, it’s considered one of the safest places in the country after featuring in both Hiatt Hardware and Security and burglar alarms company ADT’s lists of the lowest burglary rate in the country in 2022. Lewes and Mid Sussex are other great locations that make city life secure in Sussex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is East Sussex A Good Place To Live?
Yes, East Sussex is a good place to live. It has something to offer everyone, combining perfectly vibrant city life and coastline peace, quaint country villages, old towns with cobbled streets and independent spirit, and breathtaking nature while being just a short drive away from London. It is rightfully thought of as being among the best places to settle down in England.
What Are The Best Areas To Live In Hastings?
The most picturesque areas of Hastings are the Old Town and Clive Vale. Old Town is the most convenient for life, with high street shops, historic inns, restaurants and cafes. It can, however, get busy; to avoid the noise, you can consider Clive Vale, a nice area with easy access to the Old Town, the beach and East Hill.
Is Hastings Or Eastbourne Better To Live In?
Eastbourne is better to live in than Hastings when choosing locations in Sussex. It is considered safer and more affordable. Also, the rolling hills of the Downs and the cliffs of Beachy Head make up a landscape that even the castles of Hastings can’t beat. However, Hastings is more culture-oriented and is slightly closer to London.
What Is The Poshest Part Of East Sussex?
The poshest part of East Sussex is Forest Row. In fact, it is the third poshest village in the country, as ranked by Times in January 2023. Situated 3 miles south-east of the town of East Grinstead, the Forest Row village gets its name from the Ashdown Forest, which was established in the thirteenth century as the royal hunting park.
What Is The Worst Place To Live In East Sussex?
Bexhill-on-Sea is the worst place to live in East Sussex, mostly because it ranks as one of the most dangerous areas in the county. Also, its young population is consistently leaving, making it unattractive for students. It is, however, considered a town with a good quality of life for pensioners.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, these 10 locations are the best places to live in East Sussex. Despite having a higher average property price than most other counties, many people find Sussex desirable for various reasons. Some of its areas are ranked as the safest in the country, and it truly does have it all – the sea, the art, coastline towns, rolling hills, breathtaking countryside and vibrant cities.
How can I get to East Sussex from London?
Hi Nata, your best bet is by train. It typically takes an hour to get to most parts of East Sussex from London by train. You can also drive if you have a car or board any of the coaches available.