Help! Please! Lifestyle change!

[Charlie554]

Decided to move. All my friends have left the area for various reasons - moved abroad; retired to the country etc and now feeling I need to sell and get something smaller. Would appreciate recommendations with active communities- hiking; book clubs; wild swimming ( never done it but….) a weekend market; a high street with coffee shops. TIA

Depends what you want I live in the North Wessex Downs area, but even though I feel rural I am 5 mins from a little Waitrose and a Sainsbury's local. In a town with much going on for me it's belonging to a choir.
My sister is on the Suffolk coast, but lives in town 5 mins from the sea and 20 mins walk from where her sea swim club meets.
Do you have family or friends you want or need to be near. What would you really like to do, do you want a garden? So many questions.

Thanks for the reply - yes I definitely want a garden. I think for what my house will sell for then I’ll be able to get something I like. When I got divorced, several friends melted away - I don’t have a partner but my ex does so as a ‘couple’ they’ve got a social group. I really don’t have any friends left in the area and I think I want a fresh start where I’m not so and so’s ex!

Kirkby Lonsdale or anywhere in south cumbria.

With the exception of the wild swimming, I think Malvern could be a good bet for your other requirement in terms of having an active community and groups. If you’re a little older then Church Stretton has a very active pensioner community. Possibly need to know a few more of your requirements l/budget to narrow it down.

I’ve been looking at South Cumbria - and Kirby Lonsdale actually. I’ll have about 450k to buy somewhere - I’m late 50s - and want to give up work!

The Isle of Man has everything you are looking for but it can feel claustrophobic at first due to its size.

Lymington

Tavistock in Devon is a pretty market town on the edge of Dartmoor. Might be dull for young people, but the centre is generally bustling with the middle-aged and it has all the facilities most reasonable people need, including great walking, proximity to the coast, doctors and dentists (not NHS though), a MIU in town and a big (but busy) hospital in Plymouth. There's reasonable retail facilities in town, a farmer's market and a covered market, plus choirs and an arts centre, several supermarkets etc. etc.