Recommend a market or small town please

[ifonly4]

Fast forward five years, we can see ourselves moving, in the ideal world our final move. We do have a small town we like but it's very hilly and not sure that's great for old age with winter and health conditions, so it'd be nice to get a feel for one or two others.

We think we'd like a market or small town - can anyone recommend one please? Some good cafes/pubs/restaurants essential, as is an close supermarket, ok(ish) bus service, somewhere that's nice to potter around, food market would be nice and in the ideal world easy access to a hospital. Know we can't tick every box though. Guess England would be first choice for easier commute to rest of UK, but certainly not against Wales or southern Scotland.

There is so many. My advice would be to choose one that is far enough away from a big city to be self sustaining, so people live and work there and it isn’t just a commuter town.
If you want a small town it is unlikely to have a big hospital, may just have big primary care services that do lots of things but not emergency care

Which is the town you like that's too hilly? That might give people a clue about what appeals to you. Also budget and what you expect to achieve for it.

Malmesbury in Wiltshire is nice, I have family who live there. There is a Waitrose just out of town, nice walks very locally, quite a few pubs and cafes although I dont know how good they are. Close to bigger town Cirencester and about 30 mins to the Great Western hospital in Swindon.

Romsey in Hampshire also nice, we have family there too. Lots of pubs but not so many restaurants - Prezzo, Thai and Indian restaurants are nice.

Faversham?

Cowbridge (Vale of Glamorgan) is nice, and has a Waitrose. Penarth is also lovely to potter round.

North Berwick in South East Scotland is lovely. Lovely beach and plenty shops, cafes and restaurants.

Hexham. However, if I had more money North Berwick is so lovely. Keswick? Ripon?

Thanks for your replies. We know there are so many options, so thought we'd get a feel now to explore.

The town is Stroud (Gloucestershire), not obviously pretty but has some nice places to eat, a brilliant food market, good bus service and unique gift shops, just nice for a potter around. Also, it's surrounded by lovely countryside.

Any suggetions great, as I'll do some research from. DD is 600 miles away at uni, so gives us the opportunity for regular stopovers to investigate some, if not holidays to explore others initially.

In today's prices, guess we'd have £325,000 to buy property, for health reasons think it'll have to be a bungalow by then, three bedrooms would be great, not fussed about lots of land. We'd be on the edge of town than in countryside.

Have a watch of 'escape to the perfect town' on bbc iPlayer. each episode is a house hunt in a small/market town. Lots of inspiration around the country.

Wells in Somerset. Flat, gorgeous, great market. Absolutely everything is walkable.
Get onto air b&b and check it out for your selves.

I’d recommend Shrewsbury to you but it’s still a little under the radar and I don’t want the secret getting out and everyone coming.

It’s full of lovely independent shops, fantastic market, great cafes and restaurants, beautiful park, stones throw from stunning countryside but only an hour on the train from Brum.

Small enough to be friendly but big enough not to be insular and unwelcoming.

As far as I’m concerned it’s pretty much a wee patch of heaven.

Ssshhh, don’t tell everyone about Shrewsbury.

@Finfintytint haha I’m sorry . I’m torn between boasting about it and wanting to keep it aaallll for myself.

If now Shrewsbury, what about Ludlow ...? Although you would have to choose the house carefully to avoid hills. Very foodie, lots of independent shops, buzzing for its population size. Or Faringdon in Oxfordshire; a fair trade town with plenty of facilities.

Maybe we could divert OP’s attention to Oswestry - another fab Shropshire market town.

Another one for Shropshire here!

waspfig thanks for that, actually I've seen someting about that programme recently but haven't watched it.

I forgot about Wells, I've visited it a few times and it's ticks lots of boxes. NotExactly I'll have to look at your suggestion now!

I'd suggest Durham if it wasn't for the hills. No idea how it compares with Stroud.

This is an idea of prices for a bungalow within the city.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73283903.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64710456.html (this one is close to all the bus routes on that side of town and in a quiet close with quite a few bungalows)

Bury st Edmunds is lovely

I used to know people who shopped in Chester le Street instead of Durham because it was flat.

I was going to say Oswestry or Shrewsbury...Shropshire is lovely

DHs parents live in Stroud (at the top of a hill!) and much as their house isn't a sensible one for their age, it works quite well as the bus stops right outside the house and there is a reasonable amount in the centre of town. They can get a lot done at Stroud hospital (outreach clinics there), and obv food shopping is much easier now with home delivery.

I live in south Worcestershire in a town a lot of people retire to from elsewhere or the villages as you can get to everything on a mobility scooter, and increasingly e bikes for the slightly more able (easier to park too). As a smaller town you can be on the edge, but still get to the dr or into town very easily and it is incredibly friendly. No farmers market regularly, but amazing farm shops

Market Harborough is lovely too.

Chippenham in Wiltshire? Not as picturesque as Wells or Malmesbury but has the advantage of being on a main rail line with direct links into London. Bath is only 14 miles away (10 minutes on the train) and Bristol is about 25 miles away (20 minutes on the train). Bus service isn't too bad either.
Alternatively, Corsham, which is smaller, but very pretty and seeing peacocks wandering around the town is completely normal. Bus routes are okay, but become less frequent at the weekend.
£325k would go far in Chippenham and less so in Corsham (because you're 4 miles closer to Bath).

It's not what I'd call a small town but google West Kirby in Wirral - apart from the market it has everything else you've asked for - good public transport, easy access to hospital, a Morrison's supermarket plus an Aldi and a beach and a boating lake.