East Sussex County of se England. The county town is Lewes, other major towns include Brighton, Hastings and Eastbourne. Its s border is the English Channel. The chalky South Downs run parallel to the coast. In the n, the Weald plains are drained by the River Ouse. Most of the region was included in the kingdom of Wessex. In 1066, William the Conqueror met the forces of Harold II in the Battle of Hastings. The local economy is dominated by agriculture, services and tourism. Area: 1795sq km (693sq mi) Pop. (1997 est.) 496,200.

Sussex, East. By a long-standing tradition, the large county of Sussex had its eastern and western parts, looking to Lewes and to Chichester. The county courts, quarter sessions, and usually the assizes were held alternately, and in 1832 the Reform Act recognized the situation by giving two representatives to each division. In 1888 separate county councils were established for East and West Sussex, and this arrangement was continued by the Local Government Act of 1972. In the 1990s East Sussex retained its county status, with Brighton and Hove made a unitary authority.

J. A. Cannon

East Sussex. See Sussex, East.