An attractive area of 205 square miles (530 sq km) of the Sussex Weald in the South of England, with many pleasant towns and villages, an inviting landscape and a considerable architectural heritage: this is the Horsham District. It spans from the Surrey border in the north to the impressive South Downs - and in places, it is just a few miles from the English Channel. Over 130,000 people live here.

Horsham, in the north east of the area, with its immediate environs has a population of around 50,000 and is the principal commercial and administrative centre. It retains many aspects of its market town past, yet has been carefully renovated and developed to provide excellent shopping and cultural opportunities. Horsham District Council is located here, serving the whole of the Horsham District.

Channel 4 Television recognised the Horsham District to be the ninth best place to live in the country in 2008. The results came from an independent survey of all local authorities covering many aspects of quality of life, including crime, education, employment, environment and lifestyle.

There are good communications, by road, rail and air. The A24 and links to the M23 and M25 provide direct routes to London and beyond and to the south coast. Rail services run to East Croydon, London Bridge and London Victoria, and to Bognor Regis, Portsmouth and the West Country from seven stations in the District: Horsham, Littlehaven, Warnham, Faygate, Christ's Hospital, Amberley, Billingshurst and Pulborough. London Gatwick Airport is less than 20 minutes from Horsham town, to the north east.

Much of the District is agricultural, and farming and its related activities are important industries.

There are two designated areas of outstanding natural beauty, the South Downs National Park and the High Weald. In the area can be found the world famous Leonardslee Gardens, famed for its rhododendrons and azaleas. Chanctonbury Ring, in the "blunt, bow-headed whale-backed Downs", as Rudyard Kipling, who loved Sussex, described them, is a landmark at 783 feet high (261m).

Two rivers flow through the District. The Adur in the south east skirts Henfield and then passes between Bramber and Upper Beeding. The Arun, which rises in St Leonard's Forest - a place of myths and legends - forms much of the western boundary of the Horsham District, meandering through Amberley Wildbrooks, a haven for birds and wildlife and on to the sea.

There is excellent shopping, especially in the redeveloped and award winning Horsham town centre, with its ample car parking. There are also many interesting shops in the District's attractive towns and villages.

The District has a number of business and industrial parks, and some major companies and organisations have their headquarters or a significant presence in the area. The pleasant location and the ease of communication recommend the District to many firms.

Traditional and modern housing is available to residents in a variety of styles. The area is popular, both with those employed locally and with commuters.

Leisure opportunities abound, with a number of leisure centres being either directly provided or grant aided by the District Council. There are country parks and nature reserves and a network of footpaths and bridleways. The Downs Link footpath and bridleway runs from Rudgwick to Bramber, where it joins the South Downs Way.

Part of the restored section of the Wey and Arun Canal runs along the north west boundary of the District, near Billingshurst. Gliding takes place at Parham. There is a choice of golf courses, including Rookwood at Horsham, for use on a "pay and play" basis, provided by the District Council, and the famous Mannings Heath Golf Club.

Two arts centres serve the local community; The Capitol, Horsham and Christ's Hospital. These offer drama, exhibitions, music and other forms of artistic expression. A number of museums, including Horsham Museum in the elegant Causeway, show life as it was and items of local interest.

Education is very well catered for, with schools and colleges of high standards of achievement, both in the state and independent spheres. The College of Richard Collyer, Horsham, Steyning Grammar School and the Bluecoat school of Christ's Hospital are amongst the more well known. There are a variety of adult education opportunities.

The enduring Wealden clay, the chalk downlands, the sandstone outcrops, produce a pleasing and varied landscape, in which nestle many fascinating towns, villages and hamlets, each with its own character and history.