The Parish of Withyham is part of a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), containing some sites of specific scientific interest and within a conservation area. A beautiful place in which to live characterised by distinctive brick, tile and weatherboard houses, oast houses, farmsteads, ancient woodland, patchworks of small fields and distinctive settlements housing strong communities. These include Lye Green, Friars Gate and Marden’s Hill. The remainder of the parish comprises farms including arable, dairy/beef and sheep. It is bordered by the open area of Ashdown Forest to the south and west.
The Parish is split into two electoral wards Groombridge and Mardens Hill. The electoral ward of Mardens Hill was created in May 2019 and is made up of the settlements from our Parish of St Johns, Friars Gate and Lye Green. The Settlements of Blackham, Withyham and Groombridge come under the ward of Groombridge.