Moving

I'm in North Notts, Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark, Lincoln all easily reachable. Trains to London from Newark, reasonable bus services all round. Our town has several churches (including collegiate church for Notts), GP, small supermarkets, chemists, great range of independent shops, library, pubs, parks, sports centre with swimming pool, umpteen clubs and activities, garden centres and lovely countryside. What more could you want? And yes, very friendly residents.

Last year, having lived outside the UK for 44 years, we actually bucked the trend, and because we were too far away from our children in the London area, moved from Shaftesbury Dorset to S. Hertfordshire. The countryside is lovely, with market towns close by. People somewhat reserved but otherwise friendly. Very good medical practice and even an NHS dentist. If you need more information, please contact privately. PS we do not regret the move.

Dumfries is a great place and the surrounding countryside is beautiful. Glasgow is a short train trip away as is Edinburgh. Here in Scotland all of the Museums are free and if you are over 60 you get a National Entitlement card that gives you free bus travel and discounted train travel throughout Scotland, it also gives you a discount on the Glasgow Subway ( which is cheap anyway) Prescriptions are free also. There are only 5 million of us in the whole country, so 3 million less than London.

I would prioritise access to shops and public transport. You may one day have to give up driving. DH and I moved to a market town 10 years ago after living in the middle of the country. Now we walk to shops, cafes, GP surgery etc in 10-15 minutes. There are plenty of activities and interest groups (eg U3A) in the town. We have a bus stop round the corner. We use the bus to travel to our nearest city, and to a railway station a few miles away. Our car is rarely used apart from excursions into the surrounding countryside. The move was a huge decision at the time but we have never regretted it. Do lots of research and list your priorities before making a decision. Good luck with your move whatever you choose.

Have a look at Exeter, it's got all the amenities - theatre, cinemas, a good town centre and it's not far from the coast, countryside and the moors. There are many small villages around the city with lots of friendly clubs for all ages, and people are always very welcoming to new residents.

Why just England? what about Wales and Scotland? NI might be a stretch too far..........

I'm in Gloucester (cheap) but with easy links to Cheltenham (more expensive). I think it's pretty good round here, lots of social stuff for older people (join Meetup), plenty of cultural activities, and opportunities for volunteering which are also a good way of making friends. I live close to the centre, and it's no more than ten minutes' drive to get to the countryside. The bus connections are excellent, I can walk to a bus stop in less than five minutes and get a direct bus to Cheltenham or to hippie-central Stroud. If sport floats your boat we have Gloucester Rugby, of course, but also some decent football clubs (so DH informs me: Gloucester City, Cheltenham Town & Forest Green.) Gloucester itself is run down but having a lot of regeneration money spent at the moment. Suits me, anyway!

It is so easy to visualise an idilic life-style surrounded by beautiful countryside with a view (as they so often say in Escape to the Country) to 'die for'!!

The reality is that those 'wonderful' places can be very isolated.

It is fine to say -'the country town is only 15 miles away'. Fifteen miles can be as far as 50 if someone is not able (for many reasons) to drive their own car there. And there are no buses really close by.

There is nowhere quite like London for choice of theatres, museums - even parks etc. as well as shopping and public transports going everywhere in Britain. . Each area of London is really their own little village with their own communities.

So, I would say - think very, very hard and long before making any decision for the rest of your life. Moving out of London is (financially) usually a one-way journey.

Far more important than that wonderful view is closeness of such things as shops, buses, train station, GP surgeries, Pharmacy, dentists, opticians, hospital as well as facilities such as library, park, museums, theatres and/or cinemas, etc. etc.

Most small towns, or larger villages offer organisations like U3A and WI where it is comparatively easy to meet people and take part in things. Most areas welcome more volunteers in charity shops, etc. So, provided you are not in an totally isolated house with only those views to die for close by - you can make new acquaintances, and have new interests.

Do NOT rush into anything - take plenty of time, and try to think how any new place will be suitable for you now, in ten, fifteen and twenty years time.

Just a suggestion TheodoraP.
Think of the places you find interesting and have a couple of weeks in the area to get the feel of the place.
I love Somerset and Wales i find the people very welcoming,especially Gwynedd,we stayed there just before Christmas.

Tonbridge is a lovely town and has the advantage of being able to get to London in 35mins - in case you want to go back and visit.

Hi there.
Take a look at Billericay in Essex ,it has a lovely High st and the people are lovely.?You can still jump on a train to London so best of both worlds .

Theodora, whereever you go, make quite, quite sure that there is good public transport, shops and a GP within walking distance and various local activities you can join if you want to.

A lot of beautiful country places are only possible to live in, if you can drive. Remember the day may come when you either cannot drive or ought not to.

These days you do not automatically get to know your neighbours because you live in the country. People can be just as stand-offish in the country as in towns. So look into the possibilities of meeting others either through clubs, social events or voluntary work, before you move, rather than after.

What a wonderful adventure to look forward to - all the very best!

Sorry - but I'm going to be a bit controversial here. If you are a London property owner, you already have a big advantage in that you will find most other UK counties very "affordable" so you are much more likely to have a wider choice of places and properties. Moving to a small market town or large village, and downsizing, is a sensible option as we get older but in a rural county like Norfolk (where I too live), every property bought (often at a hugely inflated price) by people wanting to escape from the South East, equates to one less home available for young people who have lived here all their lives. Social housing and new homes that are affordable in terms of local wages are simply not being built. Instead we are seeing huge new developments of large houses, the majority of which are being bought by people from further afield who marvel at how inexpensive (for them) property is here. I wish you well with your quest for a life in the countryside but you may soon find yourself surrounded by new housing and neighbours who were also hoping to "escape".

TheodoraP

I feel that there is more to England than London

I want to move out somewhere where there is countryside

But I have no idea where to start looking

I am quite a friendly person and would like to be somewhere where people are welcoming and friendly because unfortunately this adventure will be made alone

Can you help

We moved to Malvern in Worcestershire following DH redundancy 25 years ago, we love it! If you don’t know it, it’s a busy rural town, south of Worcester, surrounded by beautiful countryside (and those famous hills). There is good access to public green spaces, good rail (2 train stations) and road links. We live within walking distance of Great Malvern, the train station, shops (both independents and Waitrose), a good community hospital, swimming pool, theatres, cinema, pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Good luck with your search.

We moved to Lincolnshire 3 years ago, near Louth, edge 9f the Woods. It's beautiful and we have made lots of friends, although when I say "we" it's more a case of I've made lots of friends and DH has made friends through me making friends. Lots to do, WI, loads of village hall activities and groups to join. We love it here.

That should say edge of the Wolds!!!

If services such as shops, GP, library etc are not within walking distance, make sure you have other transport options as well as buses. My sister moved to a small town in Cambridgeshire to be closer to my mother. Unfortunately since she moved the local bus service from her home to mother's has been cut from every 30 minutes with services all day to fewer than one bus per hour with the last bus at about 6pm! Having moved from London where you just have to walk to the bus stop knowing that a bus will come along within ten minutes it's quite a shock to have to check the timetable and make sure she's at the bus stop in time! She does also have the option of going by train which is much quicker, but it's further to walk to the station than the bus stop.

Hi Shandy57
Never a truer word spoke bout Northumberland...I'm jus back from a week spent in Seahouses...It was stunning...Spent a bit of time in Bamburgh...The beaches were amazing....I was in Roker last year...If I was to move from Scotland I would it would be Nirthumberland for me....People are as friendly as us Scots

You mean they are friendly ppl in London lol I nearly moved their 5yrs but didn’t like how I was made to feel invisible. I live in north york lots of shops drs hospital etc I’m from Sunderland and came here with army and when ex left army I stayed here with our sons who were at exam stages. I love it here but unfortunately my boys met wife’s in different places so I’m planning on moving back up north covid made me realise how far away from family I was. You don’t say if buying or renting

Franbern,

Excellent advice! As we age we need all those facilities you mention.

Horsham is a lovely small market town, lots of countryside walks nearby and indeed country walks from Horsham without getting in the car. Near the coast (Brighton, Worthing, Littlehampton etc) and larger towns like Chichester and Guildford. Also very convenient for a day trip to London.

Certainly consider public transport, and proximity of local services but bear in mind that things change, bus routes do get taken off. I had a wake up call when had to stay at my daughter's after an accident although it is not very far away, no direct bus to the next village with a few shops and a post office, there is a bus thst goes round the houses every hour and a half, and yoh either have to get it back in half an hour ir get the next ine back, not pleasant on a cold wet dsy, not on a sunday to get, to church, possible to walk across the fields but again not nice in winter or if your mobility is impaired, no library, or other useful places, it is not far to my village but taxis cost far too much apart from in an emergency, when i came back i got a lift one way which meant either an early start or a late wait. A doddle in a cae though. I dont much like where i am but can walk to all the facilities like the doctors or opticians or if I need a taxi it is much cheaper and there is a direct line to London. There is a community bus and some buses elsewhere
The people in daughters village are veey nice but nothing eeally fir retired folk, much of the social life seems based on the pub and the nuce little shop is so limited as to what it sells. And how easy is it. For friends and family to visit or vice versa
So a small . Town sounds a good idea.
Yes Ilkley is lovely, also if you are looking up north so is Skipton. A nice if a long walk over the moor from ilkley gets you to Saltaire, which is bear very pleasant parts of shipley, there are trains and buses to Leeds and other places including Skipton and the medical care is good as you get older, taxis are cheap and you are near lovely countryside and theatres etx
So pick your small town

I was born in Ilkley and left when I was eight. In 1996 when my first marriage broke up, I moved back there, when in my thirties, as I still had some relatives living there. Although it is a nice little town and is surrounded by the yorkshire moors, I found it hard to make friends there and as it is such a rich town, it seemed as if you only fitted in if you had a lot of money! I stayed for 9 years and then moved back to Banbury, which is a far more friendly town and I have never regretted the move. Having said that, I have a friend who had lived in High Wycombe all her life and then moved to Richmond in North Yorks 5 years ago. She loves it there and says it is a very friendly place. My stepmother left Ilkley when my Dad died 9 years ago, as she felt so lonely. She moved to Knaresborough in North Yorks and also says what a lovely friendly place it is. I often visit her and I think Knaresborough is far nice than Ilkley.

Have you given the south coast any thought. Lovely town, cities, villages to choose from and beautiful beaches within easy reach of countryside.