Another Relocation: South West from NI. Advice welcome!

[SWcurious]

We're in our 50s and, after almost two decades of happy Northern Ireland living, are considering a return home to England to be nearer family - and we need help identifying places in the South West to look at. It will be a tough move for us, as we have a pretty good situation here, and property is much more expensive over there.

We have family in north Somerset (Wells area) and we are looking at Somerset and Devon as options. We're looking to be in a slightly less rural situation than we are now (driving to get the milk, all our neighbours are cattle) so we are thinking a village with short-ish drive to a small town.
We want to be within a reasonable commute to a hospital (ideally, no more than an hour) as I'm on biologics and have semi-regular check ups. We don't want to be on top of family either, just more accessible than we are now. Main family in North Somerset but there are others in Bideford and Looe I'dlike to reconnect with.

We both work from home and like walking so inland is fine but, ideally, we'd like an easy-ish commute to the sea (we're both coastal rowers and would value the opportunity to continue this hobby plus we have beach-loving dogs). We'd like to avoid second home land, we want to be part of a community.

As much as I love Cornwall, I suspect its a bit too far away but I'll be delighted to be on its doorstep.

We're in the early days of considering whether this move is feasible, its not urgent but for a number of reasons, feels inevitable. We think, once we sell up here, we'll have a budget of around the £300/£350K for 2/3 bedrooms. Zoopla suggests this is feasible if limited on choice. I'm not a fan of new builds, we currently live in an old stone cottage which we renovated. I realise, we'll not get like for like, as we live in a much cheaper area, but we're hoping to find something similar if smaller. Any areas to look at or pointers welcome! Thank you.

Good to know! I did have a go at gig rowing in Newquay. Its harder than what I'm used to (a Scottish skiff) but I would absolutely give it a go if the chance arises!

Taunton / Wellington and villages surrounding would work. We are to the East of Taunton and I often go to Wells to meet a friend and it's a direct road there but not too close for comfort. We are 15mins from the M5 and the A303 link. Taunton has a main line station and a major hospital. The town itself isn't beautiful but it has everything you need and Bristol and Exeter are less than an hour away. The beach is 30-45 mins away.
I'm personally not so keen on Tiverton as it seems to be becoming a bit of a dormitory town for Exeter.
I have friends who moved to Sidmouth a couple of years ago and they love it there. There seem to be loads going on all year round and of course you are right on the coast. Not too far from Exeter for better facilities.
I also have a friend who lives near Sherborne and it's a lovely little town, with Yeovil as your nearest bigger town. A very different character from Taunton, I would say more akin to Wells but with the schools at the centre rather than the cathedral.
All depends on your priorities.

Thanks so much, that's really useful

OP, I downsized from Oxfordshire to be close to the sea (albeit not to gig race).

Downsizing tips are to pay for house clearance, and if you do, use the certified Environmental Agency people who won't fly-tip stuff. Also, just think about what YOU want. I'm single so happy to live in a tiny house, I like gardens but want to travel while I still can, so want lock up and leave. (My garden is 9' x 12', but I can get a nearby allotment later if I want to.)

Sherborne is medieval, golden stone, architecturally lovely in the centre, independent shops, on the R. Yeo, plus my brilliant Pilates teacher moved there, plus the general vibe. Lots more online. Plus apparently it has a Waitrose!

Sounds great. And that's really helpful advice re: house clearance.

Also here to suggest the towns around Bristol. Great road links, M5 to family in Wells, Bristol a hop away.

Clevedon - has a fabulous sea pool, coastal walks, rowing club, fabulous volunteer run cinema, great architecture.

Portishead - a volunteer run lido, marina, bustling high street, incredible community spirit, lots of clubs including a gig club. More coastal walking, great pubs and restaurants, a nature reserve and great dog walks.

Also consider Yatton, Nailsea, Backwell - easy access to coast and Bristol.

Parts of Weston Super Mare are lovely, especially Worle. Sand bay, Burnham on Sea. The beach and sunsets are superb.

One of the main advantages of North Somerset over lots of the South West is that it's not second home territory and it is not insular.

Lyme Regis is lovely!

Its good advice for your target area.

When fit and mostly healthy in your 50s, 60s or even 70s the distances and lack of public transport are not an issue. That can change overnight at this age and suddenly the journey which was a pleasant hour’s drive through the countryside to Exeter or Bristol is an expensive nightmare to manage in an area with minimal taxi coverage.

Any hospital stay is likely to be a trek for the non hospitalised partner. Specialist hospital departments may be a lot further than an hour.
Social Care is a mess everywhere but especially stretched in this part of the world - no budget for eg the halfway wards between hospital and being dumped at home. Somerset budgets seem slightly less hard hit than Devon but both are difficult to access. Ambulance wait times are also a massive issue.

GP practices were not as badly effected as those in urban areas but against that it could be quite a drive to the surgery.

If its a temporary place for say, a few years, this may be less of an issue but if its your forever home then as close to family as you can manage can make a big difference to your quality of life.

I live in Somerton, I love it here.
Glastonbury is a couple of miles away, it's officially a town but in reality it's like a village, there are a few grocery shops, a co-op, a lovely greegrocers and a really nice shoe shop I get all my shoes from.
It's country but still has all the basics.
Compton Dundon is where I'd really like to be but there are no shops there and I'd be stranded later on in life. I'm 64.

Good shout, thanks!

I would also say Exmouth is a good shout, it is a nice town with good facilities, a lovely beach and good train connection to Exeter (takes about 20-30mins) where you can then get the train further afield. I know people living there 50s/60s and they love it! One of them had bad health issues recently and got good care locally and then in the hospital in Exeter. The only downside is the water company does seem to dump sewerage in the sea there a lot in the summer time when the holiday parks are full but you get this issue in a lot of places - water company in Devon is pretty bad for dumping sewerage. Check out the surfers against sewerage site or app and it will tell you if an area gets more than usual sewerage discharges.

The other place I have heard is good around East Devon is Teignmouth which is between Exeter and Plymouth - they also have good train connections, theatre and a few nice shops. The sand is is reddish in colour that looks a bit like mud when wet but it is a nice beach for walking and swimming - you can also walk to other beaches like Dawlish in under an hour or get the train to Torbay - it is a good location for exploring other towns. You can get to Looe in about an hour and 15 minutes by car.

I also adore Lyme Regis, parking is a nightmare but it is a gorgeous town with lovely shops. I don't know what the healthcare situation is like down there but it seems like a lovely place to live.

Sidmouth is also one of my favourite places down the direction - no train route though and it takes a good 35-45minutes to get to Exeter depending on traffic. The town is lovely though, gorgeous scenery, people are super friendly, lovely shops. They put on events semi regularly and small festivals which are good fun.

I don't know all the villages in the area so people might be able to advice on other ones. Newton Abbot is good geographically as it is close to many beaches and on a good train route but I haven't actually explored the town.

If you don't mind being far from the coast villages near Bath might be worth considering - the health care there is really good, I saw a specialist in Bath once and was really impressed with the hospital, the quality of healthcare and the speed. In contrast I found the hospital in Bristol very slow and doctors very oversubscribed so hard to get an appointment - usually had to wait 2-4weeks!

Thanks so much. That's given me lots to research!

East Devon, between Honiton and Exeter, I'm sure you'd find something in budget. There's loads of lovely coast and countryside nearby but it's pretty well connected into Exeter.

Just to be pedantic, Glastonbury is nearly 9 miles from Somerton!

And it's a town. Not very nice these days.

The beaches along the Bristol Channel have massive tidal ranges (2nd biggest in the world). Weston-super-Mare has a sandy beach but the tide goes out for miles leaving dangerous sinking sands. You may want to consider somewhere more Atlantic facing if you want to go rowing.

To be honest £300-350,000 isn't going to buy you much in Sidmouth, Sherborne, Somerton, Lyme Regis & the like.

Tiverton has been suggested & is a sizeable town with an independent cinema, restaurants, shops & about 30 minutes from Exeter with a regular bus service. Tiverton is also close to an M5 junction making trips up to Wells easier. It's worth taking a look at Cullompton as well - it's smaller than Tiverton, again it's on an M5 junction, good public transport into Exeter, a new train station is due to be opened there & it has a good selection of shops & other amenities. There's a lot of new-build on the outskirts of both Tiverton & Cullompton which I'd avoid as they seem rather soulless to me & are a long way from the shops meaning you'd have to drive into town rather than be able to walk. Both towns have older character houses close to the centre. Someone else has suggested Honiton - I'd agree, it has reasonably priced houses, a good selection of shops & amenities also nearby Ottery St Mary is an attractive small town which is again reasonably priced.

Look at Portishead, has gig rowing in the marina and on the channel, close to major hospitals (direct bus to both) all day to day services in town . Your budget is fairly tight but things are not shifting at the moment so you never know, definitely apartments at your price point but you should be able to get a 2 bed house if you aren’t too fussy on location. I live on the marina, it’s great for middle age as everyone pretty much has moved from elsewhere and there’s lots on

To be honest £300-350,000 isn't going to buy you much in Sidmouth, Sherborne, Somerton, Lyme Regis & the like

Exactly this... & inc anywhere around or nr Exeter will also be a struggle, thats why i suggested further West.

Agree @MrsMoastyToasty - if we go coastal it wont be on the Bristol channel. I'm very aware of the tides there and the dangerous mud flats - we almost lost a dog to one in Burnham in the 70s!

Interesting to read this. Glastonbury has always been well...Glastonbury! But on recent visits, I became much more aware of the underlying edginess.

If you need hospitals the biggest ones in the south west are probably Southmead Hospital, Bristol and RUH, Bath.
However it's one of the priciest areas in the country. don't i just know it! I live between the two of them in a town called Keynsham.

I’m in North Somerset and just started a biologic. It gets delivered directly to me at home, well I hope the next ones will be. Monthly bloods for 3 months, then 3 monthly and I’m not sure what happens after that. I started just before Christmas, have a phone call next week and then I assume I will be on yearly checks and can call the rheumatology helpline in case of any issues.

Thanks for sharing. Which hospital are you under? It sounds like a similar set up to me here although they are much more haphazard on follow up and bloods where I am currently.

I hope the biologics work for you. They've been a miracle for me.

I'm late 40s and my husband mid 50s, we're the ones running about looking after our parents in their 70s. I'm amused by the suggestion that we should be planning as though we're one foot in the grave.