High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is in south-east England. Covering an area of 1,450 square kilometres , it takes up parts of the counties of East Sussex, Kent, West Sussex and Surrey in order of respective contribution. It is the fourth largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales. It has an attractive landscape with a mosaic of small farms and woodlands, historic parks, sunken lanes and ridge-top villages.

The High Weald AONB was designated under the National Park and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 in October 1983. Designation as an AONB gave official recognition to the unique landscape of the High Weald, strengthened the ability of government agencies and local authorities to conserve and enhance the landscape, and provided priority for financial support for these objectives from the principal government agency responsible for AONBs, the Countryside Agency . AONBs do not possess separate administrative structures like Britain's National Parks, but rely on existing structures. In the case of the High Weald, this requires co-ordination of the policies and management activities of fifteen local authorities, comprising four counties and eleven district authorities.

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