The parish includes the small hamlet of Chiltington and a few dispersed farms and houses along Allington Road to the foot of the South Downs.

Clayton to Offham Escarpment is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which stretches from Hassocks in the west and passes through many parishes including St John Without, to Lewes in the east.

[3] Ashcombe Bottom is a wooded area in the south of the parish, which forms part of the National Trust Blackcap reserve.

Within its boundary is the ancient woodland of Warningore, the scarp top between Mount Harry and Blackcap, East Sussex and the valley of Ashcombe Bottom.

Wickham Wood (TQ 390 156) lies to the south of the Bevern stream at the northern most point of the parish and just north of the Roman Greensand Way road.

It mainly consists of hornbeam trees, but there is also wych elm, wild service, crab apple, spindle, guelder rose and aspen.

[9] St John Without lies within the Chailey ward for the next tier of government, East Sussex County Council.

The ward also includes Chailey, Ditchling, East Chiltington, Newick, Plumpton, Streat, Westmeston and Wivelsfield.