Administrative and geographic county (pop., 2001: 492,324), southeastern England.
It is located on the English Channel ; the county's administrative centre is in Lewes . A ridge of chalk hills, the South Downs, crosses the county along the coast; in the southeast the reclaimed marshes of Pevensey Levels have historically been an important entry point for invaders. Neolithic remains and an Iron Age hill fort have been found, as well as evidence of Roman occupation. The South Saxons came to dominate the area, and they were in turn subjugated by Wessex . In 1066 William of Normandy (see William I ) landed at Pevensey and fought the Battle of Hastings . Along the coast, Hove, Brighton , Peacehaven, Seaford, Eastbourne, Bexhill, and Hastings form an ever-lengthening line of resorts.