A town in the county has been ranked the prettiest in Britain.

Lewes came first in a list by The Telegraph which rated some of the prettiest and ugliest of the 1,250 towns in the country.

It got a score of 46 out of 50, based on shop fronts, historic architecture, litter and traffic, views and greenery.

The town, known for its firework display and radical history, was praised for its “handsome half-timbered medieval streets”.

Travel journalist Sally Howard gave Lewes ten out of ten for its historic architecture and views.

She wrote: “You could spend a day wandering the hilly twittens and alleyways of Lewes, and they really are hilly, so it would be wise to coincide such a day with a pub crawl.

"There are 17 in the town centre these days, many of which are supplied by the local Harvey’s Brewery, including The Swan Inn to the Gardener’s Arms on Cliffe High Street.”

She said the best viewpoint is from Lewes Castle’s Norman fortress which was built in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings.

It offers panoramic views across the town to the downs.  

The article recommends a stay at the “homely” B&B called Dubois in Prince Edward’s Road.

Rye also appeared in the ranking.

The Argus: Rye was praised for its historic architectureRye was praised for its historic architecture (Image: The Argus)

The East Sussex town was rated 36 out of 50, with ten out of ten for its historic architecture - but it did not score so well on views and greenery.

Once a coastal harbour, Rye has long since been reclaimed by the silting coastline.

The article reads: “The sheening cobbled lanes, hip-width passageways and crooked timber-beamed buildings of this town of 4,000 residents is a budding photographer’s dream, and there are more boutique boltholes than you could bed down in a lifetime.”

She suggested visitors avoid summer weekends when day trippers are “a blight” but recommended views from the 12th-century church St Mary’s where you can see over the town's rooftops and out to the coast.

For hotels, Ms Howard recommended B&B Whitehouse in the High Street and the Mermaid Inn in Mermaid Street.

Britain's ugliest towns

They are, according to The Telegraph, Stanley, Newton Abbot, Lowestoft,  Cumbernauld, Telford, Merthyr Tydfil and Slough.