Situated in the High Weald in East Sussex, it's surrounded by beautiful countryside - green rolling hills interspersed with woodlands - typical of this area of south east England.
The parish of Rotherfield lies six miles south of the spa town of Tunbridge Wells, and it is the principal watershed of East Sussex. Not only does the river Rother rise in the cellar of Rotherhurst on the outskirts of the village, but tributaries of the Medway and Ouse have their beginnings here.
The houses are characteristically Wealden with weather boarding or vertical tiling and the village centre enjoys the protection afforded a conservation area.
Rotherfield village has a population of 1,400 whilst the parish of Rotherfield is one of the largest in this part of Sussex, being home to about 3,200 souls.
The church of St Denys with its lofty shingled spire dominates the surrounding area, the oldest parts of the building dating back to the 11th century. In the churchyard stands an ancient yew tree - believed to be over 1,500 years old. Many houses in Rotherfield are listed as being of historic interest.
In the high street the chimney stack above the Highgate Farm Shop takes the shape of three hooped cannons to remind the villagers that the building was once the Three Guns Inn. It dates back to a period when the iron industry flourished in these parts - supplying the raw materials to make cannons for the British Navy.
The Kings Arms pub lies in the centre of the village and, as well as being the home of good food and warming ale, has a long and interesting history dating back to the 16th century.
A number of Rotherfield residents achieved notoriety and fame in times gone by.
During the reign of Mary Tudor at least three villagers, Alexander Hosmer, Ann Ashdowne and John Ashdowne, were tortured and burnt at the stake in Lewes for their faithful adherence to their "reformed" religion.
In more recent times Sophia Jex Blake, one of the first women to qualify as a doctor, and the founder of a medical school for women, lived in the parish. She died here in 1912 and is buried in Rotherfield churchyard.
Rotherfield does not rest on its historical laurels. It welcomed in the new millennium with the opening of the Millennium Green to provide a recreational area for the villagers and a haven for the local fauna and flora.
It boasts a thriving community spirit with an array of clubs and organisations who, in 1992, combined their organisational strengths to stage a wonderful year of celebrations to commemorate the 1200 year history of St Denys Church.
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