Devon / Cornwall move - what will have changed in 40 years.

[inmylifeIlovedthemall]

Background, I spent part of my childhood in Devon (close to Torquay) and loved those years.

My adult life has been spent in Suffolk (working in London & surrounds) and latterly Yorkshire. However holidays were often in the West Country, mostly Cornwall. I trace my family back to 1630 in Fowey.

I am now looking for a forever home and have the luxury to be able to live wherever I like in this country. All I need is the ability to catch a train to visit family / friends.

Over and over again my heart draws me to look at properties in both Devon and Cornwall.

However, I am nervous. Recent holidays have shown me a side of the West Country that causes uncertainty. A vist to Padstow two years ago was unbearable in terms of crowds, Fowey, St Ives etc, not much better.

Am I viewing the West Country of my youth through rose tinted spectacles? What is it really like to live there now?

Any experiences, as honest as possible, would be most welcome. As would any suggestion of areas that are more bearable to live in during the Summer months.

A friend of mine has moved to Honiton - they are very pleased, now a few years. Great seaside walks (along cliffs as I understand) not far away, no crowds where they aer and they go to Sidmouth a lot which they love - didn't mention that it was too crowded in summer. Retired but active, moved from near Bath.

Right I live in Cornwall and I've never been to Fowey bar from one afternoon 18 years ago. And coastal places are now unbearable to live in and I'll include Falmouth on your list too. Mostly due to the summer overcrowding. I think more inland places are where the future is. As the costal places are just going to become unachievable places to live unless you're very wealthy.

In 40 years I think the a30 will be fully dual carriage way all the way down to Lands End. That the railway won't rely on Dawlish as much. I also think that infrastructure will have caught up with the rest of the country. Just having Treliske as a main hospital is unrealistic.

In general the whole back water country bumpkin personnel will be extinguished. I.e that Uber and deliveroo will exist and decent phone signal

If you're needing to rely on trains then somewhere in the Exeter area is probably best. The track further on from Exeter is soooo slow, takes an absolute age to get anywhere fast.

Cornwall is overrun in the summer, and dead in the winter - many restaurants etc all close at the end of October Til March!

People don’t have much money so houses are often needing a lot of work doing and are unkempt. The exception are the holiday homes which are kept nice looking but empty most of the year.

Public transport is dire and transport links to the rest of the country are shite

Once you’ve found an area you like, would you maybe rent for a year to check that you’d be happy to settle? Then if it doesn’t work, you can move on? At least being in the general area would give you a base to explore lots of different places before committing.

Ginsithasplashoftonic that is really useful thank you.

I was thinking of what has changed in the last 40 years rather than the next, as I probably won’t be around in 2060

However I was interested in your comment about the hospital and the reliance on Dawlish is an important reminder. I used to love our rides along that part of the coast in an old steam train when I was a child, but the recent storm damage must have been a real pain

That is my fear TheWildOnesNevefDie

An important reason for my research.

Thank you !!

We live inland in a World Heritage site enclosed by an AONB. We moved back last year after 13 years abroad, to the house we had before we moved. We'd let it out whilst abroad.

The thing that has changed in 13 years is the internet. It was dial up when we left (or close to) and now the broadband is as good as that we had just outside Brussels. We can chose the A30 or A38 to get out of the county and Plymouth is not that far to catch a train. Being up the Devon/Cornwall borders end gives me access to Derriford for a hospital, access to facilities on the Devon side, but less expensive housing on the Cornwall side.

Food is good; there is a plethora of farm shops, local producers, a choice of supermarkets and a local craft gin distillery. Larger stores are in Plymouth, and we even have an IKEA as close as Exeter now, as opposed to having to trek to Bristol.

I am glad to be back.