Town or countryside living, which do you prefer?

I’ve lived in cities, market towns, small and large villages and remote rural, coast and mountains, and now in the flat-to-me midlands, in this country and others, and they’ve all had good and bad bits (or rather things I liked, and things I didn’t)

As I start to look for what will be my final home (unless I end up needing residential care), pragmatism and practicality are leading me to town or small city living, not necessarily in the UK though.

I'v done both city and country.
My village has no amenities and a weekly request bus. The older I get and the less I like driving I realise that we will have to move to a big village as I lived in before moving here with DR'd dentist and shops etc. or on the edge of a town. We both acknowledge this and have been invited by DD to move to her town when we feel we need to.Will we take her up on her offer I'll wait and see.

We live and have done so since we married 46 years ago in a small town. We have plenty of countryside around within walking distance. We have 3 large towns within around half an hour drive.

Best of both worlds so far but the larger towns are getting nearer and nearer with all the building going on.

I really would not like not live in the middle of a large city or on a busy main road.

Nannarose

Merlotgran, hope you have a good autumn and winter.
And the beach will, I am sure, be balm for your soul

Thank you, Nannarose.

As a Forces wife I lived in many different sorts of locations around the world and have been happy in each place. I love where I live now - the house, the garden, the space and the quiet. Yet I'm only two miles from a mainline station, the doctor's surgery, dentist and supermarket - and sandy beaches. The best of every world really, and I'm really content. I hope I can see my days out here, but who can see into the future? Who would ever have imagined the pandemic and lockdowns and now the financial disaster? Carpe Diem, as someone always says on another thread. But I do love the countryside.

My ideal is to live in or near a city, for practical reasons, and have holidays in the country.

I've always lived in the countryside, and love it, but I am starting to think that a small market town would be much more suitable at some point.

I hate driving anyway, but even if I didn't, I might have to give up the car at some stage. Somewhere with basic services and public transport is starting to feel like something worth considering after retirement

5 years ago I downsized 450 miles from a big victorian family house in a small seaside village to an ancient chocolate box cottage in a small Cotswold village. I am now selling up for various reasons: no public transport, shops, Dr, dentist etc all a drive away and, tbqh, an unfriendly village. I’m moving even further south, to Devon back to the sea, to an end of terrace house 1 minute from the beach & DD3, near shops, all services and a station. A huge decision as Ive made some really good friends in the Cotswolds & will miss them dreadfully but I’m future proofing …..a totally new way of life and exciting!

@oldnproud, yammy and zonne. At what age do you think that move needs to be made?
I'm 64 and DH is 72. I feel we need to move somewhere where we won't be completely isolated once we can't drive. We might be ok for a few years but I fear the process of moving will be very stressful and best done sooner rather than later.

RedRidingHood

@oldnproud, yammy and zonne. At what age do you think that move needs to be made?
I'm 64 and DH is 72. I feel we need to move somewhere where we won't be completely isolated once we can't drive. We might be ok for a few years but I fear the process of moving will be very stressful and best done sooner rather than later.

It's hard to answer that question, but I hope I will judge it better than my own parents did.

With hindsight, my mum bitterly regrets not making that sort of move while she and my late dad were in their early to mid 70s.

The trouble is, they really didn't feel ready to move then. They had a good circle of close friends, and understandably were very reluctant to lose that.

In fact, my dad never did feel ready.
He died nearly five years ago, age 84.
Although he knew he was terminally ill for the last 2.5 years, he was still able to drive right up until the week before he died, but my mum had stopped driving by then and feels stranded now.
Athough she desperately wants and needs to move nearer to me and my brother (over 120 miles away), she no longer feels up to it even if the family were to take complete control of the move, so things are rather difficult!

Whether DH and I will time any eventual move of our own any better remains to be seen.
We are not too disimilar in age to you and your DH, though I am slightly younger than you and my DH is slightly older than yours.
I think that my parents' experience has made me start thinking about this earlier than i might otherwise have done.

RedRidingHood

@oldnproud, yammy and zonne. At what age do you think that move needs to be made?
I'm 64 and DH is 72. I feel we need to move somewhere where we won't be completely isolated once we can't drive. We might be ok for a few years but I fear the process of moving will be very stressful and best done sooner rather than later.

We’re each a couple of years older than you. Neither of us need to move now, but there are two drivers for us to do so soon. Firstly, my parents were the exact opposite to Oldnproud’s, and died at around the ages we are now, so I am a bit superstitious about putting things off! Secondly - and more important - is that I’d like to have time, whilst still fit and well, to have a social life, make friends, enjoy what the new place has to offer, and so on.

Zonne

RedRidingHood

@oldnproud, yammy and zonne. At what age do you think that move needs to be made?
I'm 64 and DH is 72. I feel we need to move somewhere where we won't be completely isolated once we can't drive. We might be ok for a few years but I fear the process of moving will be very stressful and best done sooner rather than later.

We’re each a couple of years older than you. Neither of us need to move now, but there are two drivers for us to do so soon. Firstly, my parents were the exact opposite to Oldnproud’s, and died at around the ages we are now, so I am a bit superstitious about putting things off! Secondly - and more important - is that I’d like to have time, whilst still fit and well, to have a social life, make friends, enjoy what the new place has to offer, and so on.

Your last point is a really important one, and although I missed it out, is something that my mum has said many times!

We moved from London to a village about 6 miles from a large town in the NW of England. We have a small supermarket, post office, chemist and doctors and also 2 pubs, a restaurant and a fish and chip shop all within walking distance. There is also public transport to the nearest town and mainline station. We moved to be nearer to our son and family who live 15 minutes walk away and our daughter and her husband who live 45 minutes drive away.Previously we had a journey of 200 miles to visit them. We had already got to know the village and surrounding area before we moved so had a good idea of what village life meant. Although we miss friends and family who are still in London we do not regret our move and have no wish to move back to London. We feel much safer living here and it feels quieter and calmer with a slower pace of life. There is a real community feeling in our village and plenty of clubs and activities to join if you wish.If you are someone who needs constant entertainment and the buzz of city life then it’s probably not for you but personally we wish we could have done it years ago!

Without a doubt country for me. Born in a large town in the Greater London area, but lived in many different areas of the UK, I know I need to feel space around me. I'm living in Scotland now and love it so much but the time will come, when infirm, I will have to journey south so family can keep an eye on me. That will be a sad day.

my heart is in the countryside but needs must so now I am living in a small market town. I am content with that because the countryside is all around and I can still hear the cows and see the horses and geese just minutes away, if I cycle. My market town sells everything I could possibly need

That sounds perfect to me karmalady.

I’d like to have time, whilst still fit and well, to have a social life, make friends, enjoy what the new place has to offer, and so on*

Yes that's a big driving factor now.
DC are not long left home, only early 20s so I don't know whereabouts they will end up. I have only one friend in the village so the only tie is sentimental attachment to our family home.

Since we moved to Boston 45 years ago we`ve tried both. I`m on the edge of town now, but wish I was back out in the countryside.

I've always lived on the very edge, of towns, cities and very small towns but with the countryside right next to us.
However, the problem now is that there is so much building going on around towns and villages, that you could suddenly find yourself surrounded by housing estates.

Marmight I'm sorry your move hasn't worked out as you'd hoped, it sounded ideal. However, I hope the next move will work out well.
I'm [envious] but I doubt that we'll move back to Devon now.

I think I have the best of both worlds. I live right in the centre of a small town. There are shops, drs, dentists, cafés , pubs, leisure centre, library, swimming pool within a short walk but countryside is a few minute's walk away too and we are on a National cycle route.
It takes under an hour to be in the centre of Edinburgh by bus which are every 15 minutes and free!
I've lived here for over 40;years . In that time the town has grown with new housing estates and there are far fewer shops but society has changed everywhere so it's no surprise.
I'm in a walking group and we explore our region and beyond. I imagine what it would be like to live deep in the countryside or by the sea.
I would love to but it would soon pall after all you can't live on scenery, you need people.

I am on thé edge of a medium sized town, a few minutes from woods, with very good transport links to Versailles and Paris. There is a market nearly everyday somewhere in walking distance and there are no problems with amenities.
I like to visit the countryside, but that’s all and I don’t like built-up areas either. Two of my three DDs are either within an hour’s walk or an hour’s drive away.
I feel very fortunate as to where I live but I do miss friendly British people.

I always wanted to live in the countryside and now that I do I love it. It's the peace and quiet I think. But I am glad there is a town only 5 miles away. I'd hate to be too isolated.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We live in a suburb in Australia but it is actually quite rural and we have a lot of trees and cannot see any neighbours. We can just about walk to the shops if we are feeling fit, it is about 2 km. downhill but uphill coming back .So mostly we hop in the car. I agree with AussieGran about health services anywhere but city and suburbs. I once broke my arm out in the country, went to a country hospital and they mis- diagnosed it as a ‘sprain’.My local Doc showed me the 2 places it was broken on the X-ray and even I could spot it! Scary.

I love right on the edge of a small Cheshire town with countryside between us and the next village. I expect it will get built on soon ours is a new estate so we shouldn't complain. I wish we had more services though. The little high street doesn't have much no bank, no nice shops just a small Tesco. The butcher has survived and a chain bakers but the rest is the usual mix of hairdressers, estate agents etc. I would love to live in London again.