Ilton, Somerset - What's it like to live there?

[Mwanamatapa]

We are looking at buying a new build in Ilton and would like some information on what it's like to live around there.

We are a retired couple and have 4 dogs currently residing in Arizona, USA. We like the outdoors, green spaces and places to walk our dogs. Not concerned about schools (other than for resale value) and nightlife (those days are long gone). Understand that we will have to travel to Ilminster or other places for shopping, medical, veterinary amenities.

If anyone could give us some insight, it would be appreciated.

Any specific reason you’re looking at Ilton?

Yes, the area looks appealing and the house is a good fit for our needs. Before committing our life savings, wanted to be sure it's not a crime-riddled, drug infested place. 😂
Or in the middle of a flood zone with a fishery on the doorstep.
I'm from the south-east originally but the prices there are prohibitive.

I’d caution against the new builds tacked onto small villages in Somerset - there is a lot of bad feeling about them in the villages themselves. Not sure when you last lived in the UK but new builds are also beset with problems - hop over to the property/DIY board for a taste of the issues.
Somerset is lovely but can be very grey and damp in the winter (or all year round as per this year). Winter and storms can come with power cuts, which if your home is all electric as many new builds are, is a problem.
Public transport is effectively non-existent so expect to drive everywhere on roads that aren’t in the best condition. You’ll be able to get grocery deliveries but probably be very limited on things like takeaways and taxis
From experience, I’d never live somewhere I needed to drive to everything again.
If you haven’t visited it, I’d definitely recommend doing so before committing (preferably in the depths of winter) get a feel for how far from everything (doctors, dentist, hospital) it is and what the village really looks like as opposed to what the Wikipedia entry with the pretty church and thatched cottages - quite a few such Somerset villages are about 80% postwar semis.
For the record, I love Somerset but living out in the sticks definitely had its downsides and I don’t miss the winters.