Retiring to North Devon

[hobblingAway]

We plan to visit Bideford and Barnstaple soon but wondered what people think of those areas that live or have lived there.

There look to be lots of properties that would be in our price range especially new builds as thinking that would limit our bills for a while in terms of not needing to update/replace anything.

DH wants to be near the sea. I am looking for peace and quiet but recognise we need things close by for when we get a lot older.

I think it depends where you are now and how it compares to your current lifestyle. Lots of people tried moving somewhere ‘by the sea’ during lockdown but then missed their old lives so moved back.

the area is lovely we have relatives there and visit a lot, and as much as I love it I’m not sure it would suit my lifestyle full time. Having said that when an elderly relative was ill in end of life care the hospital was phenomenal and the local hospice so good.

Its also very busy in the summer months

DH and I are thinking of doing this too! We could probably get something without having a mortgage and I just love North Devon.

Ah yes I should have mentioned we are currently in a Dorset town so looking for something similar but by the coast and downsizing the house a bit as I can see it will become more of a struggle to maintain it as we age.

I’ve lived in Dorset previously and currently live in a coastal part of Devon, though not North Devon. I would go and spend some time there and see what you think.

Personally, I think Bideford and Barnstaple are quite isolated for what they offer. I don’t think the sea or countryside is as nice there as in other parts of Devon or Cornwall. The link road can be a nightmare. They don’t offer the amenities as places like South Devon, for example, which is why it’s so much more affordable.

What I always say to people thinking of moving out to places like where we live is to come at the height of summer and come in January, if you can. The summer season is intense. I have to plan my whole day around avoiding tourists and traffic. My favourite beach I just don’t go to at all in July/August. The rest of the year it rains ALOT, so much more than Dorset.

Now that doesn’t mean I don’t love where I live and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Thanks for the info. Lots to think about as my heart would like a more isolated location but my head knows that getting older that would be a bad move and at the moment having looked at all the counties Devon is coming out top.

older relative ended up moving from to N Devon to Dorset because they were worried about how impractical it might become if they became ill. Things that featured in their decision were that it's a right old slog for fam/friends to get there to visit/in an emergency; if you're in a tourist town it can be really hard to park if you have to drive to do shopping etc (was too hilly where he was for him to walk into the town in the end); there was no Waitrose any where near the top of Devon(!); nearest hospital with tertiary services was Exeter (wasn't a prob until he got cancer and needed treatment every day 2.5hrs from home). It's beautiful there & loads of people clearly do enjoy their older years there but it's really not an easy move.

Bideford itself has easier access to sea (Westward Ho! beach resort and smaller pebble/boulder beaches further south) and closer to Cornwall but has fewer services, Barnstaple has a train, bus station, the hospital and is closer to nice big sandy beaches further north, and it has a theatre. Ilfracombe also has theatre and sea, more isolated but no too far from Barnstaple. Wherever you live realistically you will need a car to make the most of what the area has to offer. If you cycle, Bideford and Barnstaple are connected via Tarka trail, also to Braunton, which is popular and close to sea but expensive and has nothing much apart from being close to sea, popular with surfers and families (good secondary school). As someone else said, go and have a look at different times of year. Beaches are very busy in school holidays but if you get there early or late it’s not too bad and there are plenty of nice places other han the beach!

@Greybeardy Exeter is about 1 hour from N Devon, maybe you mean Derriford Hospital in Plymouth? I know someone in Barnstaple who needs to go there for treatment and that is about 2 hours but Exeter is closer.

I was the one doing the driving! We spent up to 5 hours a day getting from North to Exeter in the car during tourist season.

I agree that N Devon to Exeter is way longer than an hour! I have recently done that trip & it was nearer 2 hours on that particular day.

N Devon, to me, always feels like the back of beyond. Good luck with your search.

I guess it depends on where exactly in N Devon you are 😉

Should say up to 5 hrs a day in the care getting there and back ...can't edit

My mum moved from there to our midlands city and is so much happier. Just things like having a library and buses has made a huge impact to her quality of life now she is older. It’s beautiful when you’re active and can drive but so isolating if your health fails, you stop driving etc, need medical treatment etc. Also bleak in winter when the wind is coming off the coast.

I moved to Barnstaple from Kent and absolutely love it! My daughter now lives in Bideford and to be honest I do prefer there to here only because it's quieter. Holiday season can be really manic but you work out the tips to avoid the chaos.... the link road however does need to do one as PP said it's a bit of a nightmare

Thanks everyone you have given DH and I things to think about.

I checked out the amenities and there are more than where we currently live. The bus routes from Bideford to Barnstaple run earlier and later than from our current town to the next biggest and that has no train station. So the area looks promising.

The negatives would be the tourist traffic and being busy in the summer. Another would be if we needed to attend a large hospital for treatment as that would be further than our current one.

Will be interesting to visit the area in person later in the year.

Anywhere coastal has holiday traffic and grockles. The beaches in winter are great for walking though and even though busy in the summer there’s usually a nice atmosphere. North Devon you have to drive a way to everything and if you need medical treatment you can find yourself driving to Exeter.

Torbay gets a lot of bad press but public transport is good and the three towns are geared up to older people. Torquay has theatres and cinema, Paignton has a small theatre and good cinema ( cheap too) Brixham is pretty, olde worlde but a traffic bottleneck. Torbay hospital is easy to reach. Lots of out of town shopping with free, easy parking.
You need to spend time in each area before deciding.