The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an 1,461 square kilometre area in south east England.
It spreads across parts of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. It is the fourth-largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales and was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1983.
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. This protects the land to conserve and enhance its natural beauty. In order to be designated as an AONB, an area must meet a ‘natural beauty criterion’.
This is defined as: ” a combination of factors, such as:
- landscape quality, where natural or man-made landscape is good quality
- scenic quality, such as striking coastal landforms
- relative wildness, such as distance from housing or having few roads
- relative tranquillity, where natural sounds, such as streams or birdsong are predominant
- natural heritage features, such as distinctive geology or species and habitat
- cultural heritage, which can include the built environment that makes the area unique, such as archaeological remains or historic parkland“.
Where is the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
You can download a map of High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty here: map
However, it runs from Hastings to Herstmonceux, just south of Heathfield and across to Cuckfield and Horsham. From Horsham the boundary runs to East Grinstead and across to Groombridge, Cranbrook and down to Rye. It includes 17 market towns and larger villages, and 30 manor houses, castles and gardens. Perhaps most importantly it is home to 3,720 species of plants and animals.
The High Weald Landscape
The High Weald is on a sandstone area known from Saxon times as the Weald. It is an area of ancient Medieval countryside made up of small mixed farms and woodlands, thought to be a typical English landscapes and one of the best preserved Medieval landscapes in North West Europe.
The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is considered to have five defining features:
- “Geology, landform and water systems – a deeply incised, ridged and faulted landform of clays and sandstone with numerous gill streams.
- Settlement – dispersed historic settlement including high densities of isolated farmsteads and late Medieval villages founded on trade and non-agricultural rural industries.
- Routeways – a dense network of historic routeways (now roads, tracks and paths).
- Woodland – abundance of ancient woodland, highly interconnected and in smallholdings.
- Field and Heath – small, irregular and productive fields, bounded by hedgerows and woods, and typically used for livestock grazing; with distinctive zones of lowland heaths, and inned river valleys.”
(Source: The High Weald AONB Management Plan 2019-2024)
Exploring the High Weald AONB
There are dozens of ways to discover the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is criss-crossed with footpaths, ancient droveways and bridleways including the High Weald Landscape Trail which runs from Horsham to Rye. It also includes Ashdown Forest.
Interesting towns within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty include Battle, Mayfield, Winchelsea, Forest Row and Ardingly. Crowborough is surrounded by it and Cuckfield, Rye and East Grinstead sit on the boundary.
You’ll also find plenty of vineyards within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as Fox and Fox and Oastbrook Estate Vineyard as well as places of interest to visit like Bodiam Castle, Herstmonceux Castle, Great Dixter House and Gardens, Wakehurst Gardens, Nymans, Bateman’s, Standen House and the Jack Fuller Follies. And of course, there are reservoirs at Ardingly, Bewl Water and Darwell if you wish to take to the water and hundreds of interesting and historic churches.
Recommended itinerary
We recommend a four centre itinerary that starts in Horsham and ends in Rye, via Ashdown Forest and Mayfield.
- From Horsham: explore St Leonard’s Forest, Ardingly Reservoir and Wakehurst.
- From Ashdown Forest: base your explorations from Ashdown Park Hotel and explore the forest, Standen House and East Grinstead.
- From Mayfield: cycle the Cuckoo Trail, explore local vineyards and visit Bewl Water.
- From Rye: visit Winchelsea, Great Dixter and Battle.
However, you choose to explore, you are bound to want to come back and re visit.
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