It is a regular thoroughfare and point of rest for ramblers, and features a series of ponds, known locally as 'The Three Lakes', which were until the early 1990s open to the public.

It remains a popular destination for local visitors, with its public house, The Hampden Arms, and until recently, its corner-shop and post office, which has now closed and been converted into a residential dwelling.

South Heighton is famous for its secret tunnels, built and used for defence during the Second World War, which lie underneath most of the village,[3][4] with the main entrance at Denton House.

Notable residents, past and present, include Ralph Reader, originator of the Scouting Gang Show and Ursula Mommens,[5] the great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin and the great-great-granddaughter of the potter Josiah Wedgwood.

The Liberal Democrat Norman Baker was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes in East Sussex from his election in 1997 to his defeat in 2015.