Where in the UK would be good to live in retirement?

[GaynorsTrainers]

I'm daydreaming and looking on Rightmove.
It's time for a change.

I don't need school catchment areas.
I could potentially go anywhere as no family connections.

I'd like somewhere where I could walk to a shop, have access to arts and culture and not be overly busy or isolated.
I quite like country walks, I like the beach.
I might need a part time job as my pension is going to be rubbish.
I'd still need a reasonable size house as I'd want my children/grandchildren to stay.

I can't afford Winchester, which I like. Cardiff is also on the shortlist but still a bit expensive.

Where can you suggest?

A while back I idly googled best places for culture and Ipswich came up as one of them- Norfolk coast is popular for retiring, for obvious reasons, but not so well connected as to be expensive.

Malvern
Keswick
Buxton
Whitby
Bakewell
Hebden bridge
Ilkley

Any good?

East or South Devon. Somewhere with decent links to Exeter?

Chichester if your budget will stretch that far.

Eastbourne

Do you mean early active fit retirement or later elderly frail? They are two very different stages with very different needs. Very easy to choose for the first and find you’re suddenly in the second and need to move.

Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast?

www.thesuffolkcoast.co.uk/suffolk-coast-towns-and-villages/aldeburgh#thingstodo

West Kirby

How about Ludlow ?

Where are your children / grandchildren based? Far easier for them to come and visit if you are within 90 minutes of them.

Somewhere near a decent hospital. I know it sounds morbid but health deteriorates in your older age, and I find it astonishing the number of people who retire and move away from world class facilities, then are shocked that their local small hospital can't meet their (increasing) needs or cross that they're spending all their time travelling back and forth.

Peebles

Barnstaple North Devon.

@LBOCS2

Somewhere near a decent hospital. I know it sounds morbid but health deteriorates in your older age, and I find it astonishing the number of people who retire and move away from world class facilities, then are shocked that their local small hospital can't meet their (increasing) needs or cross that they're spending all their time travelling back and forth.

And yes I would agree with this. Check out how the hospitals are rated by locals wherever you decide to go.

Swansea - beaches aplenty, cheaper than Cardiff but only 50 mins away and plenty of cultural events linked to the universities

Surrey

Highest life expectancy due to proximity to great care

And you know.. other rich people

Sidmouth. Everything is walkable and lovely coffee shops etc.

Does depend what you want in retiremebt though really? By the sea and gentle pace or busy city with everythung accessible?

Sorry you've answered ny question in the OP!

By the sea and country walks. Lots of Devon coast. I like Sidmouth 😁

One thing to consider is how your health will change in retirement. It's a good idea to pick somewhere within the catchment area of a major teaching hospital, so if god forbid you have a stroke, heart attack etc. you get first class treatment
(Apologies for the pessimistic post, however one of my wife's relatives retired to the Lincolnshire coast, and sadly his wife died suddenly of a stroke)

Sidmouth is near Exeter...

Swansea

Sidmouth is not cheaper than Cardiff though!

Oh I had assumed cheaper than Winchester. I don't know sidmouth or cardiff prices just fancied retiring there when we visited!

I don’t know Winchester prices but you’d be lucky to get anything more than a 2 bedroom flat for £300k in Sidmouth. You can easily get a family home for that in Cardiff.