Retiring to Dorset on my own - advice please!

[Reliablesource]

I have lived in London for 30+ years and do not want to get old here! I have been single for several years and now late 50s, so pretty much resigned to being solo for good! I have always wanted to live by the sea and would like to make the move while I’m still young and fit enough to establish myself somewhere new. I have zoned in on Dorset, for the scenery, lifestyle and also being a reasonable distance for family and friends to visit.

Am currently doing recces/research trips to various areas. Am mainly thinking of Bridport/Swanage/Weymouth areas. I drive and my current work can be done remotely, so I don’t need to commute. Happy to live outside town centres to be somewhere quieter as long as I have access to a town for shopping and facilities.

Would love to have a sea view but not a deal breaker. Main criteria are:

• near to sea
• good walks
• road links to a motorway
• things to do/places of interest for visitors
• good restaurants

I would also like to be somewhere that has community events so I’m not socially isolated: food festivals/pilates/social activities. I love theatre so arts facilities would be a bonus.

If anyone can advise on the suitability of Bridport/Swanage/Weymouth localities for a single, active lady starting retirement, I would be most grateful. And there may of course be other places that fit the bill that I don’t know about! TIA for any advice.

I live in Dorset, grew up in Swanage and lived there until in my 30's and ive lived in Christchurch for the last ten years. Went to secondary school in Wareham.

I would definitely pick Swanage over Wareham, find Wareham quite dull.

Swanage is beautiful and has the beaches and scenery. There is lots to get involved in with the carnival (a quick and surefire way of getting involved in the community if you join the committee), folk festival, lifeboat week, jazz festival etc. It is a nice community, slightly cliquey but i think thats typical of small communities. Traffic in the summertime is a headache, theres only two ways in and they can both get backed up with tourists during the summer months.

I do miss living there but my family are still there and so my children still get to experience swanage summers which are lovely. I love Christchurch, it has beautiful beaches, rivers, history, the new forest and easy access to shops, supermarkets and roads which swanage does not. I dont think you would regret a swanage move though, its a great place

I grew up in Dorset and only left 14 years ago. I still go back very regularly. The further west you go the further away you are from motorway links. Travelling in the summer will be an utter nightmare. Swanage has the ferry but it’s out of service for some weeks of the year and in the summer the queues for it can be massive. Swanage to Bournemouth hospital is likely to take a couple of hours each way in the summer.

Id look more at Christchurch/southbourne/milford on sea area if funds allow. Southbourne currently has a lovely “village” feel to it.

Almost all seaside towns have deprivation and Bournemouth and Poole are no exception (this is where I grew up). They also have significant drug and county lines issues but I think you’ll get those pretty much everywhere these days.

I very much intend to go back when we retire but I would definitely stay in the East part of the County, in part due to the healthcare available. Healthcare absolutely is a postcode lottery and I think it gets worse the further east you go. My links are to Bournemouth and Poole so, despite the issues there, that’s probably where I’ll go (but a sea view is not remotely within budget :) )

If I was living alone, I think I would choose Lyme Regis over Bridport. Houses away from the sea are cheaper in both areas. Bridport has a contentious new housing estate and I think this will sadly affect the character of the town.

Lyme Regis will provide an instant friendship base if you’re up for cold water swimming. The Blue Tits meet daily and are a friendly bunch. The only downside is lack of decent supermarkets but you can get deliveries.

Yes very good point about hospital access, there is only a tiny community hospital in Swanage and the nearest has moved from Poole now to Bournemouth. It definitely concerns me about my mum being able to get timely medical care if she needs it. I still find it surprising I can reach the hospital in ten minutes from where i live now having grown up with it being an hour away

My sister moved from London to Dorchester 30 years ago when her children were small. It’s a nice little town with easy access to the coast, Weymouth being quite close. I would say that there is a quite a large proportion of the area in the older category. My children used to ask if there were any young people living in Dorset😂 their cousins didn’t return after university and now live in cities, so there isn’t anything for that generation there. I would take a look at their health services if I were moving there. I know that my family have had problems registering with dentists and doctors.

@LoveSandbanks thank you for your advice. The thought of it taking a couple of hours to get to Bournemouth hospital from Swanage is quite an eye-opener. I can imagine that would be a nightmare for anyone needing regular appointments, which of course gets more likely as one gets older.

My heart is very drawn towards Swanage but I must use my head as well. The more I think about Sidmouth, the better it sounds, in terms of access to hospitals, airport and other facilities in Exeter.

Thank you. Yes, this is precisely what worries me about a move to Swanage. Much as I love it, that is a serious consideration I need to think carefully about.

I live in Dorset between Bridport and Weymouth. Weymouth like many seaside towns does have problems but there are some lovely areas and it is at the end of a train line. Last time I had to go to Poole Hospital, I went by train. Bridport has a lot going on. Personally I really like Portland and it's weirdness. Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch are all closer to end of motorway in Hampshire and have better transport links. Swanage is lovely but usually the ferry stops in winter for a month or so.

Public transport in those places is minimal, especially in comparison to a city. Likewise big shops. Worth considering the options carefully before commiting. For me its all nice for a holiday but I'd be tearing my hair out if I lived there.

OP where did you end up moving to? Intrigued!

@Reliablesource any update?!

Sorry for very late reply, somehow missed this! After exploring lots of the places suggested by the lovely people in the thread, and driving hundreds of miles last summer to do so, my heart is set on Sidmouth. It ticks practically all my boxes: lovely, unspoilt seafront, fantastic views, protected areas of natural beauty around it, multiple options for walking, plenty going on in terms of festivals and activities. It feels like it has a good community vibe where I could get involved in different things to make friends. Independent shops, great cafes and restaurants, a little theatre and a Waitrose! And within easy driving distance to Exeter for big shops, airport and hospital. The only downside I can see is the lack of motorway network down there, but regardless, I much prefer the rural roads to the hell
of driving round London! So have been actively looking for a suitable house for the past 6 months or so and the search continues. The market down there is quite slow so will just bide my time to find the right house, as I will want to stay put once I move.

Yes, I live in Mudeford. I can walk to the beach in 10 mins, I can drive and be in the New Forest in 10 mins. There are lots of supermarkets locally that I don’t need a car to get to. Bus stop at the end of my road. A 10 min car drive to the hospital - bus routes also go to the hospital to.

also, A 20 min drive through the New Forest gets me to Lyndhurst where I can pick up the M27 at Cadnam.

Sorry OP - didn’t read the whole thread and can see you’ve decided on Sidmouth.

@Reliablesource great to hear. I may well be joining you in a few years once my kids leave home. Love Sidmouth ❤️
What sort of house are you looking for? Do keep us updated!

Friend of mine of just a bit older than you, moved to Sidmouth a few years ago when her DH took early retirement and they love it. My friend volunteers but is also involved in various clubs. There's plenty going on all year round and the town still retains a genteel air.

The compromise is it's a bit less accessible to the motorway network, but it's only half an hour to Exeter and the RD&E hospital and it's a shorter journey to Honiton station for the slower London line.

I’m looking for 3 beds/2 bathrooms as I’ll be expecting a lot of family and friends to want to visit hopefully!