Would you move to the country?

My parents moved to a Lancashire hamlet in their fifties to live the dream (my Dad's dream), when both were active, fit and well. Fast forward twenty years and shopping, everyday needs and health issues became a real problem. Doctor and dentist were eight miles away and refused to visit to the extent that the emergency ambulance was out on several occasions and the air ambulance twice. on one occasion, when two courses of antibiotics failed (no GP came to see her) she had to have emergency surgery for bowel blockage, resulting in a colostomy, and nearly died from peritonitis. Regular prescriptions had to be collected by a volunteer and then fetched from his house, a couple of miles away. The mobile library visited once a fortnight but they still had to walk down and back up the hill to use it. Heavy snow was a problem most winters, preventing them from driving. Clearing paths isn't a problem when you're fit. If you're not, you are house bound.

Find somewhere nice with services!

So please think twice about moving somewhere where there are no support services. I live in a smallish village (population around 1000) but (for now) we have an excellent corner shop, a pub, newsagent and a GP surgery. There is also a bus service to the next nearest, bigger village (5 miles) and to the nearest market town (11 miles). Snow can be a problem even though we are on a main A road.

I love to visit the countryside but could never live there. I don't drive so need to be near public transport, shops, Theatres. Cinemas, doctors etc. I also like to be able to walk to a shop where I can get the essentials. Luckily I live in a city that is very close to the countryside so I have the best of both worlds.

I bought a narrow boat to live on when I was 66. I live in a marina close to a village. Love living in the country and on water. Follow your dream.

My in-laws moved to the country in their 70s. They quite liked it but not as much as they had hoped. Then his eyesight began to fail and she was the only driver. He was hospitalised and even visiting him was a real problem. So when he recovered they moved nearer to the city. They are in a village now but it's almost a suburb. There are a few shops, PO, doctor, neighbours etc and a bus every half hour. They are in their 90s and still live independently.

We live in another small town not too far from them and count myself lucky. The bus is almost outside my front door. If I go in one direction I'm in the city in under and hour. If I go the other way, I can be in open country in 10 minutes. It's free with my bus pass. Feeling fit, I can cycle for miles along the old railway route and can arrive at the seaside in under and hour. well possibly!

Have a good look at the sunshine hours and frost/rain stats before you think of going south coast to Derbyshire... - doable but 'be prepared'.

We moved to rural France when we were in our 60s and had 16 very happy years there. So I think Suesocks it's not too late for you.
We returned to the UK nearly 2 years ago for various reasons. eg no public transport, too much work on our large garden, family pressure, health problems, dogs cats and chickens etc.
The move itself, and time before we were properly settled here, were horrendous. I think we left it too late.
I used to love driving in the country but not here in town.
Husband still drives.

We moved to Derbyshire 18 months ago, Belper to be exact.
Best of all worlds, Great transport links, good bus service in the town and surrounding towns and villages, and into Derby. Railway station, supermarkets and a high street full of independent shops and Cafes. Lovely cinema, leisure centre, WI and lots to get involved with. Such a friendly small town. Surrounded by pretty countryside. Might be worth a look.
Good luck

We live in a very small village in Oxfordshire with no shop or pub. However, after living here 2 years I wouldn't want to move. It is so friendly and there is such a lot going on and the big plus of beautiful scenery.

We do have a regular bus service to Oxford and other towns (free of course) and if we get so we can't drive then will use taxis.

I wouldn't want to go back to living in town, street lighting etc. I love the peace and quiet.

My hubby and I are 71 and 72 ans live in a very small hamlet with no shops, regular bus service or Church. Hubby struggles with mobility, but still drives, and I am partially sighted and struggle with getting about on my own.
However, we have Call Connect - a bus service that is "on request". As a pensioner, journeys are free of charge (you need a bus pass from the local county). When hubby could not drive following an operation, I used the bus service to get into our nearest town, which is four miles away, to do shopping and to collect prescriptions (though the surgery will deliver if required). I used a taxi to come home, simply to save waiting - there are no seats and few bus stops, even in the town (though there is a bus station where seating is available), The bus station is a goodly way from the supermarket I use, though there is a closer alternative. There is currently a small hospital in the town, and many other useful businesses, cinema and theatre. I did use a grocery delivery service for a while, but experienced problems with missing items (one time £12's worth!).
In short, as others have said, you need to check out the areas you'd like to move to - and make sure it has the facilities you need.

SueSocks
PS I moved at age of 65 - now 70 and still love driving. It will take a lot to stop me from driving.

I've always lived in the countryside or on edge of town near countryside,

Moved from Derbyshire to Cornwall You will love Derbyshire SueSocks.

Like Cornwall, roads get congested at times in Derbyshire. I love Cornwall but prefer Derbyshire. There are plenty of large towns and Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield are so handy.

Transport good in Derbyshire and taxis much cheaper than here in Cornwall,

Don't choose a too isolated hamlet - buses are a rarity. Small villages are a better choice. Properties are expensive in the villages. I lived close to Ashover - look it up. Great village atmosphere.

Good luck and yes do move,

We live down a long track with no neighbours. My husband invested so much time, love and effort in bringing the house into the 21st century and is finding it very difficult to leave. I look out on a farm in the distance, our own lawn and sheep and occasionally cows. I REALLY miss seeing people and life going on around me. We’ve been here 13 years and I’ve found it particularly hard since retiring. It is not the place to live as you get older. You HAVE to have a car. If I had moved to a village I think I would have been fine.

I do think it is important to think ahead for `what if` when WE becomes I and believe me that does happen to most people

We moved from busy Sussex to deepest rural Somerset at 65
Now 80 won't move from this idealic spot until neither of us can drive.
The lane floods in heavy rain and it certainly rains more in the west than the east
But locals with tractor phone for a shopping list and deliver to your door and Mr tesco has no problems getting through
Join committee of local Village Hall to get to know new people and have a bit of fun and we were much welcomed.
But we are fit and healthy and strong still. So it's easy for us..
Do it again?.. In a heartbeat.

If you’re looking at Derbyshire, consider the villages with good transport links to Chesterfield or similar sized town. Chesterfield has a hospital and good transport links as it’s on the east coast rail network.

I wouldn’t consider moving to the countryside if you don’t drive. Even if they have a rural bus service now, you can’t bank on it continuing especially with cuts in public service funding.

I live rurally in Ireland.
There are no public bus services serving our area at all and the nearest taxi firm is based in a town about a 20 minute drive away. The town nearby (5 miles away) has a bus service that’s travels to the city (about 100 mins by bus), but it’s not cheap.

There used to be bus services linking the local villages but they can’t afford to run them without decent subsidies so they’re unlikely to be re-instated any time soon.

The only friend I have that doesn’t drive moved from a more rural location and into the nearby town. She never bothered learning to drive because her DH did the driving. Now he’s gone, she’s a bit stuck and relies on her adult children and friends to take her out to places.

Another couple I know moved here in their early 70’s but they moved into an old house that has plenty of character and a large garden but no downstairs toilet, isn’t well insulated and about 4 miles outside the nearest town. Luckily she drives but it’s mostly ferrying him to hospital appts. in the city. They’d have been much better off buying a small townhouse or flat in walking distance of the town centre.

The Isle of Wight is beautiful, is really really well set up for older people - lots of clubs, groups and activities, weather is best of British, lifestyle is chilled, property cheap dues to lack of work opportunity. Good GP’s and an Island hospital to deal with most issues and a short hip to Southampton for anything that needs more specialist services. It’s not a place for the young due to work opportunities and costs of travelling off the island daily makes this impractical, but for the retired - it’s perfect.

No way! I moved to a country village for work, having always thought I’d retire to the country. After ten years of village life, I now know I want to retire to somewhere with decent buses and access to cultural stuff.

For us, the plan is to move to a good urban centre within walking distance of shops, buses, trains, etc. Having worried about my late father driving past the age of 90, I shall definitely give up by the time I'm 80 - or earlier if my nearest and dearest say so.

DON’T do it, I repeat NO. We lived in a small hamlet in Staffordshire and it was idyllic whilst we were working , a real bolt hole after a stressful day , but then we retired. Wow, the difference. Having to get into the car for everything, having a half hour drive to anywhere. Need I go on. We moved down to the crowded south coast as soon as we were able and we love it. To be able to go out in the evening without facing those dark country lanes, being able to walk to a shop, inviting people round and knowing they will most likely not get lost. The list of benefits are endless. I can truthfully say, that having lived in a rural community, very happily for 22 years, now we are back with civilisation, there is nothing from the rural life that I miss.

You need to have public transport nearby, it's different if all your friends and family are in a rural area. You can be restricted by lack of choice for services, eg will you easily have a choice of carers if you need them, and simple things like getting to the docs, which sadly tends to happen more often as you age. If you are a way away from shops etc can you get the items of your choice delivered?
I am on the edge of a small town on a railway line with frequent trains - buses not so good. Traffic can be horrendous, so although I do drive sometimes I just can't face it. I have doctors, library, shops within easy reach also I can get easily to the countryside, and to be honest if I lived in one of the villages I'd be no better off from the point of view of countryside, and would have to start most trips to docs, shops, etc I'd end up coming back here anyway. A good friend does not drive and is very constrained as to getting out and about, bus from village tying up with the bus to town etc, and not much on a Sunday or bank holiday, it has really made me think. I've been asked would I go and live somewhere like Norfolk where lots of people go to retire, and without family there, really no, hospitals a long way away, bus services being cut, banks closing, etc
But basically one child lives nearby and the other about an hour and a half away. They don't want me too far away for when I am older and I don't want to be too far away from them. I'd happy relocate to where I'm from as I could find somewhere nice on bus routes, in the country but not too far from town, but I'd have to travel to see them, and I've decided that once mum goes I'll just visit the area instead. Locally I can get on a train to London and when I retire I hope to be able to go to exhibitions etc there regularly.

We lived in a town in the south coast and move to a small village with no street lightening, or post codes. Our nearest shop was 2 miles away and i had to do a round trip of 50 miles to go to the bank and do my weekly shop. Our neighbours were a good distance away so never seen them - I found myself getting very depressed and ver isolated - ended up hating it and we moved back to the south coast where I was delighted to have street lighting and post codes again!

Having always lived in London I wanted to move to the country but husband refused point blank. Then he died. I dont have a car anymore but I have a Freedom Pass and I have a vibrant busy life unlike my friends who live in the country with no bus service, art galleries public spaces. I see lots of friends but am equally happy alone at home or out in the community which I think is good for me.

We moved 2 years ago after living within easy reach of central London all my life. We are only 40 minutes further out but it has made a huge difference to our lives. We are in our 70s so needed to be in fairly easy reach of public transport in case we have to stop driving, and also shops. We live in Leigh on sea which is beautiful. Walks by the estuary, hundreds of restaurants, and a walk down southend pier if we fancy it!

Its a very personal thing. We are facing a similar decision. The fact is though, if we had moved to a rural position years ago, we would have faced the same aging related challenges, as if we moved today. Perhaps it depends on what is most important to you. If for example, it’s the security of facilities nearby, really rural probably wouldn’t suit you. If peace and quiet overrides any other fs tor, then it would be great. Maybe drawing up a kind of balance sheet, listing pros and cons, would help.

@Hetty buses outside Greater London are very different from those within the M25. My old uncle in Uxbridge apologised to me that I would have to wait ten minutes for a bus after midnight when I came back late one night. Was astounded when I told him the last bus in my town stops at seven pm and only one every two hours anyway. I live in a significant sized town in Hampshire. Our bus service is average for the local area.