Please recommend where you live!

Choice. I'd go to Northamptonshire - good value or Suffolk/Essex -heart. I've chosen to stay in Thames Valley because of family.

Yes Seacliff, good point. Healthcare facilities here are brilliant. I’m in rude health at the moment, but who knows what the future may bring. The weather doesn’t bother me too much. I actually prefer the winter!

Thank you so much everyone! Am going to try the where can I live tool on RM GKT- brilliant! I will bear public transport in mind Apricity. I love driving now, and drive a lot in my work but this will not always be the case. Shropshire very much on my radar Lazigirl, though I do daydream about living by the coast... I think we may visit Northumberland next year as I’ve heard so many good things. I will explore the other areas further as they would also be good. It’s all very liberating and I’m really excited about the next chapter of our lives!

Somethings to consider wherever you go, compare services and weather with what you have now.

We live in rural Suffolk, and it is beautiful and quite unspoilt, low crime rate etc. There are some attractive small market towns with reasonably priced housing. However, the hospitals and health services are not the best, compared to some parts of the country. Also public transport is not great in many areas.

This is one of the driest areas of the UK but there can be rather an artic easterly wind at times. I assume you have quite a mild climate in the Home Counties.

Rightmove have a fairly new tool called "Where can I live". It's on the homepage if you scroll down. You input your budget and areas you want to be near to etc. and it gives you ideas.

As you are making the move later in life don't forget to factor in access to public transport in case driving becomes an issue later and medical and health care services. Make sure the bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor and you should be well set up to enjoy your rural idyll. Good luck with your search. ??

East midlands has very reasonably priced property and some nice areas.
The world is your oyster really if you pick carefully.
Good luck with your choice and your future.

Shropshire (where I live) would fit your bill. Lovely countryside, unspoilt by tourism, nice towns for shopping/restaurants and best of all affordable housing.

I'll second rural Northumbetland. Beautiful countryside, friendly people, fresh air and dark skies. Heaven.

Rural Northumberland.
Prices not bad, The roads are quiet compared with other parts of the country.

Welsh border is good and not too expensive: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Monmouth.

There are some lovely villages in East Anglia with affordable properties so long as you stay away from the hot-spots of North Norfolk and Cambridge.

Why not go on Rightmove, tick on boxes for what you want and then do a countrywide search with, say, a £200,000 max and see what areas feature on the list and consider whether you would want to live there. Once you have a shortlist of areas you would consider, you can decide which most appeal to you and visit them.