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.

What kind of person are you OP?

If we know a bit more about the type of person you are we might be able to offer you spot on suggestions.

Are you arty?
Are you a foodie?
Do you love theatre?
Do you want to spend days doing yoga and coffee?
Do you prefer seas, lakes, rivers or canals?
Even the way you vote will be a good guide....i.e certain areas are blue through and through and others like Hebden Bridge are liberal.
Religious?
Etc etc

I'm a bit younger than you OP but like the idea of moving to the Chilterns in mid-later life. It had beautiful rolling hills but also some lovely market towns. If you've got the budget you could even live in Amersham or Chalfont St Peter which are idyllic villages on the very end of the tube line (zone 9!).

Marlow
Stamford
Tunbridge Wells

Probably not on your list but Tettenhall, it has a village feel to it, complete with greens, individual shops, and a huge paddling pool which technically closes at 6 pm but there are no gates so it's a nice to walk round on a summer evening.

There are two cricket clubs and the nearest secondary school and hospital are both private.

I really have no idea why this place exists where it does.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tettenhall

In your circumstance I would consider:

Henley
Marlow (near Henley but faster train to London)
Guildford
Tunbridge Wells
Bath
Cheltenham
Exeter

Personally I would want good transport links to London.

Sounds like you should move to bonnie Scotland 😜 my town is by the forth with great scenic walk/cycle paths, great mixed community, transport links to other towns/cities. Also has some great historic sites that are great for walking round especially in summer

The Gower, Swansea, Wales.

The city centre is dire and we never go there but beautiful bays, beaches, countryside and woodland and lots of lovely places to eat out.

Not too far from the M4 with an easy drive to the M25 etc.

High Peak. Glossop is great with a very mixed community and everything on the doorstep. I'm in my 50s and love it here. Thriving high street with some independents, 4 supermarkets and you can be in the countryside within 10 minutes walk. Good pubs too!

Lots of suggestions, but as a PP said, we need to know more about you! What do enjoy doing? What are your values? What sort of vibe are you looking for?

There have been some suggestions here that, whilst lovely, I wouldn't live in because they're just not places that would work for me.

So, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?

I was going to suggest this, but probably more specifically Mumbles for all the walking to shops, nice cafés, amenities, seafront etc.

Yes, they are doing up Swansea city centre, but so many shops have closed down.

I would pick Guildford or Richmond.

South Coast West Sussex... Ferring, Rustington, East Preston, Angmering, Arundel. Train links to London/Brighton, Theatre at Chichester, South Downs, Beach, Large supermarkets, Market town high streets and smaller village centres all with shops. Great restaurants in the area as well as cafes and bars. Lots of clubs and activities. Great communities and normally great weather! (Expensive though but not sure where you are currently based)

Loads of lovely places up north but I'd think about the weather as well.
My parents lived in one of the places mentioned in the Ribble Valley. Beautiful but they moved south because it was just so rainy and damp it brought them down.

Watching carefully!

North Wiltshire. Malmesbury, Royal Wootton Bassett, Devizes, Cricklade (might be Glos), Marlborough etc.
Lovely area, lovely market towns with good community cohesion, handy for major airports and motorways, not too far from London, or the coast and great countryside all around.

Have you considered Scotland?

Edinburgh is pretty amazing - lots of green space, older population which might make it easier to meet new friends, beautiful city, walkable & lots of history and culture, safe.

North Berwick is great or just more central. Really lovely place to retire I think!

Bridport and Wareham in Dorset

Or a city? I'm in my 50s and see people of my age or older moving to Bristol and liking it. There's plenty of places to live that are walkable to the centre, shops, lots of entertainment, relatively short drive to countryside, 1h 45mins to London on a well-served train line. Always something going on, plenty of things to join, friendly and welcoming. If I was moving to a flat and had plenty of cash I'd be looking at Clifton Village, Redland (although steering clear of living next to a student house) or around the harbourside, Clifton Wood, Southville.

Villages around York, Malton and Beverley are lovely too.

Came to say exactly this!

I second that, have visited many times, it's lovely.

Seaside is always lovely. I would love to live in Whitby or Whitstable. But I think the summer visitors might spoil it for me. And the traffic. I'm hoping to retire to somewhere with great views. A welcoming and inclusive community. Good eating and drinking opportunities. Maybe Hebden Bridge. I love Howarth but it's a bit too hilly. Maybe Ripon or Skipton or Thirsk.

York. Beautiful, vibrant small city. Close to Moors, Dales and coast and the right side of the Pennines for the weather!

Exactly this. Lots of options for small or larger villages and towns. Cheaper than Surrey.

Ringwood, New Forest. Very pretty market town, with shops, amenities, leisure centre etc but plenty of beautiful walking also, as it’s in the edge of the New Forest, but a less touristy part. Good bus links to both Bournemouth for the seaside, Salisbury. Plenty going on in the community, particularly for your age groups and above.

with a healthy budget you could buy a beautiful 2 bed cottage in some lovely streets.

Same vibe but a little smaller would be Fordingbridge or Downton.