Tell me about the fabulous area where you live so I can move there! (50s retired widow)

[Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight]

I find myself at a stage of life where I am on my own with no family and currently live in a lovely house in an idyllic rural village.

However, there’s no-one else living here at my life stage and I have to get in the car for everything. Many of my friends are moving away with their partners as they start retiring.

I am looking for somewhere where I can walk/cycle to facilities (doctor, chemist, coffee shop, leisure centre, small supermarket for top up shops), decent transport links to get further afield and somewhere with a good community and lots going on for my age group.

I would like like somewhere pretty to look at, with nice walks in countryside on my doorstep so thinking of a medium-large village, a market town or even an area of a larger town or city with the right vibe.

Where do you live that fits the bill?

Budget shouldn’t be too much of an issue as I don’t want anything particularly large (I don’t want the maintenance) and have a healthy amount to spend.

My place could sort of fit the bill but it’s opp North and as a Southerner living here I can say they were a bit funny about my accent and still are.

I would also say the difference in temperature living North and South even before huge bills needs to be considered.

On a personal note I love Winchester.

What sort of countryside do you like? If you like moors and hills, then Clitheroe or Whalley in Lancs might fit the bill. Yes it's wet in the NW, but the community is very friendly and open, with lots of social stuff within walking distance if you are in the town. See also Skipton (which is drier), but I know less about the social side there.

Another plus for the Ribble Valley is the food culture. It's huge, and varies from expensive tasting menus, to high quality local pub grub and farmers markets. I live in a much more middle class and wealthy area now (only because of work!), which often markets foodie activities, but they are nothing like what has developed over the last 5 years or so in the Ribble Valley.

If budget’s not a problem then what about one of the small towns in the Surrey hills - farnham, Godalming, Reigate, dorking or the bigger villages; Shere is lovely. They are all commuter distance from london and within reach of Heathrow and Gatwick, under an hour to the coast, lovely countryside, relatively affluent so good services/hospitals.

I don’t live there but I do love Cheltenham and would happily retire there. Great shops, pubs and restaurants on your doorstep and theatre/cinema. Plus lovely countryside all around/Cotswolds etc.

And only 2 hours by train to London.

Great suggestions so far, areas that I don’t know so can look into. I have no objections to ‘oop North’ as I have lived there previously @WhatNapkinRing so do spill the beans on where you live if it’s not too outing!

Some hills would be nice or at least not dead flat @Unbridezilla

Ilkley is everything you have described and more. A lot of people from all over retire there because it is "posh" and has all those associated advantages.

news.sky.com/story/st-ives-named-britains-happiest-place-to-live-in-2022-12759128

Starting point for you!

That's a list btw, not just St Ives ^

If the pretty to look at could be the sea then I think Hove fits the bill. Lots going on for all ages, live in central or west Hove and be walking distance from small shops, cafés, leisure centre, train station. And the beach!

10 mins drive to nearest countryside for walks, or can go by train.

If you can visit this weekend or next, you can go to some artist open houses https://aoh.org.uk and get a feel for the lovely people and places. PM me if you like.

I would second Cheltenham, would happily live there.
Also look at Worcestershire, Droitwich and Worcester or Pershore are lovely. Malvern hills not too far away.

I live in the Lake District. It's very pretty and the main areas are well connected as it has to serve the tourists. I'm an incomer (I am northern though) but it's not been a problem. If I need a city I can be in Manchester/Liverpool in just over an hour or Glasgow in less than 2 hr. It is wet, but a good waterproof coat and decent shoes is enough to counter that. We've got coast, we've got countryside and we've got lots of festivals and things like that.
I second @Unbridezilla's comments about the Ribble Valley too - it is really nice.
RV and Lakes also both have Booths the supermarket 😄

Saffron Walden; Stamford; Cambridge if you have enough money

I don’t live there now but how about Edinburgh - beautiful place, lots to do and seaside.

Or if you don’t like the cold then Bath - easy to get to Bristol or London

I would also vote for Whalley. It’s absolutely lovely.
Everything you need day to day and not far from Lancaster or clitheroe if you need more. Clitheroe has a good market too.
Easy enough to get to Manchester from too

Loving the variety on the suggestions. I am thinking of doing a grand tour staying in airbnbs to check out the areas in the new year. Please keep them coming!

Bath York Cirencester

Crosby, Formby or Birkdale. Lovely beaches on your doorstep. Pinewoods and sand dunes. If you live near the centre of the town/village, the shops and doctors' surgeries are very walkable. Lots to do socially. Affluent and safe. Great train links to Liverpool and beyond.

I second the Surrey Hills. Some beautiful little villages and towns, close to London, close to the coast, big cities like Guildford not far. Expensive but worth it.

I am OP's age and live in Bath. I have no plans to move (but would also consider living in Bradford on Avon and possibly Corsham if they do get their train station back).

Our car rarely gets used as everything is within a mile radius of our house. Being near a train station is important to us (but might be less so for you if you aren't working).

As a very rough rule of thumb, the small cathedral cities are probably all worth a look. I'd happily move to York or Exeter, for example.

I'd second that and it has lot's of bungalows!

Hay on Wye is my nearest town and ticks all of those boxes except decent transport links. There are buses but service is limited. We have lived here over 15yrs and love it. good if you like bookshops or literary festivals but there is much more to the area than that. Hay has a wonderful weekly market and the mountains are on your doorstep. Health dental care not brilliant though in Powys but imagine same in lots of rural locations.

My sister lives in Penrith, that's lovely. And only 10 minutes to the Lakes.

Ludlow in Shropshire.

It has everything you need.