Westfield is a rural parish in Rother District, in the county of East Sussex, situated approximately 6 miles north of the ancient coastal town of Hastings. The village lies on the A28 in an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by farmland and the hills, woods and streams of the Weald.  The area is a popular one for visitors with nearby historic towns of Battle and Rye, beautiful country parks, accessible seashores, and a great network of public footpaths.

There are just over one thousand households in the parish and the population, recorded in the 2011 census, was 2,583, 25% of which are over 65. Westfield has a small number of shops: a prize-winning butcher (which has traded since1935), a local store incorporating Post Office, hairdresser, beautician, an award-winning restaurant and a pet grooming shop. The village has a pub and a popular primary school for around 200 pupils.  Also within the parish is the celebrated Carr Taylor vineyard and a business park for around a dozen small rural enterprises. For more information visit our business directory.

Many community groups and societies serve the recreational life of residents; see our “Community” pages. Westfield Football club plays in the Sussex County League Division Two and our Cricket Team plays in East Sussex Cricket League Division Twelve.  The village is also renowned for its amazing annual display of Christmas lights which raises funds for the local hospice.

Westfield is an old Sussex village. It certainly existed before the Norman conquest and is listed in the Domesday book as Westewelle. The oldest building in the village is probably the picturesque parish church of St John the Baptist with its massively buttressed medieval tower.

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Visit our Gallery for a collection of photographs from around the parish

Maplehurst Wood SSSI is designated for the woodland species and wildlife. It is very old and is registered as Ancient Woodland. It is on the 1816 Ordnance Survey map and the presence of an old ditch and bank system suggests that it has been there since at least the Middle Ages. It has a dense ground flora of dog’s mercury, enchanter’s nightshade and bugle (Ajuga reptans) and the stream valleys are notable for thin spiked wood sedge (Carex strigosa) and an uncommon moss (Hookeria lucens). The woodland is also particularly important for breeding birds, which include kestrel, tawny owl, greater spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. Read more about wildlife in Westfield on the Westfield Wildlife blog.