The district also includes the towns of Crowborough, Polegate and Uckfield, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

The district's name comes from the Weald, the landscape and ancient woodland which occupies much of the centre and north of the area.

The neighbouring districts are Eastbourne, Lewes, Mid Sussex, Tandridge, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Rother.

[32] The Crowborough office moved to a new building on Pine Grove in 1988, with Starfield subsequently being redeveloped for housing.

The River Rother rises on the Weald and flows easterly to the east of Rye Bay.

The Wealden basin contains significant reserves of shale oil, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil in Wealden and surrounding areas according to a 2014 study, which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency.

[36] At the 2011 census the district had the highest proportion of home ownership of the 37 local authorities in Surrey, Sussex and Kent.

The East Coastway Line, serving Eastbourne and Hastings, uses the Vale of Sussex and has two station serving different sides of Pevensey in the district, which forms a generally suburban conurbation with Westham and a largely rural holiday and visitor coastline, Pevensey Bay.

[43] Radio stations for the area are: Major landmarks include the Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Haven along the coast; and the Long Man of Wilmington together with all of the paths over the South Downs National Park.

[44] The north of the district includes Ashdown Forest, which provided the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie the Pooh stories by A.