Town or countryside living, which do you prefer?

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

@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.

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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've lived in a tiny village for 40 years. I love my house and would hate to leave it. However DH and I are contemplating a move now before we are too crock.
Hate cities but my ideal is a market town so we are still close to countriside but also can walk to a shop or pub.

I’m a real townie. However it’s a very pretty town and not huge (75k). And surrounded coy lovely countryside but I do like to walk into town most days and have a coffee etc, see the shops and the people

Like Monica, we live in a large village with all amenities, lots social things going on.

We are about 4 miles from a Univerity town. The town is struggling in the present circumstances but the students give a lot of life.

We are also within striking distance of 3 County towns and various shopping destinations. There is a mainline train station 3 miles away.

We live in the old village Board School so are very near the centre of the village. I feel we have the best of both worlds.

City for me.

All our married life we’ve lived in villages, but I’m fed up now, I’m fed up with the very villagyness of villages, I’m fed up with the nimbyism, I’m fed up with people telling me how I should think on village matters , I’m fed up with loads of new money pouring in, which is fine in itself, but some people seem to be under the impression that they have actually bought the village, basically I’m just fed up.

I think now I want to live in a small town, lots of things I’ll miss, but I want a change.

The idea of country living is very appealing but the reality of little or no facilities would be a worry. Doctors, dentists, hospitals and shops are but a bus ride or short drive away and these are necessary for me so it would be a town for me.

I have done both in my life, and whilst I absolutely love country living, I so miss the theatre, the activity and convenience of town/city living.

So we have compromised and live on the edge of the country. 10 minute walk to the glorious South Downs. So we face the country but our back faces the city?

A lot of it is horses for courses. There will always be some ingrained town dwellers and country dwellers, but for most people it is a question of different environments at different times of our lives.

We started life in a town when we were both working and commuting, moved to a very large village with all amenities when we had babies and toddlers, to the country when the children were at primary school, but back to the heart of a big town when they were at secondary school and then to a big village with most amenities, when we retired.

While deep rurality has its charms, I must say that I prefer my country village to be more urban.

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

This country mouse has had to learn to be a town mouse over the last year.

It became a lot easier once I joined U3A and made friends. There’s so much to do and I live just ten minutes from the beach!

I know I will miss country living when the nights draw in and there’s no wood burner to huddle in front of. I’ll miss the amazing bird life and smell of bonfires mixed with wet dogs and welly boots! ?

However, my car is much cheaper to run, I have a bus service just a ten minute walk away, supermarkets galore and very friendly neighbours. My garden is manageable and my bungalow so easy to keep clean.

On balance I think my vote has to go for town living.

I prefer the countryside , but it can be a bit too cold in the winter .
I like the city for cultural things .

In an ideal world there would be both options !