Hi from mid Cornwall. I've been here 6 years. Husband's been here since early 1980s.
If you search for best places to live you will always be given the coastal towns and villages.
We live inland. House prices are so so much less inland than on the coast. It only takes me 25 mins to drive to our favourite beach (Constantine) on the north coast. It all depends on what your budget is for buying property. I love Wadebridge as a town, which again is close to north coast. Penryn is lovely. Fowey is worth considering. All our towns are tiny and our only city, Truro, is minute compared to Plymouth or Nottingham, which I know so well.
I don't want to put on here the bad areas but can send you a PM. Don't be put off by postcodes eg: PL26. One town in that area has bad image but a village close to it is so lovely with a great community spirit.
You might read in the press that house market has slowed down, Definitely not in Cornwall.. It's started to boom last year and is continuing. It's seen an investment.
Entertainment is all small scale. Remember, the sun doesn't always shine in Cornwall. We haven't had the excessive heat lately like most of UK. It rains. It rains a lot. No snow (rarely seen). Beaches are packed in the summer as are the lanes leading to the coast. I now know a few back roads to get me to my favourite places. I love visiting gardens. I bought a small car to get me around the narrow lanes easily.
When family come, our favourite pastime is the coastal path which we walk with my dog. I also love the Camel Trail. I was brought up in the Peak District with Cornwall as our summer holiday for many years. Walking here is as good as the walks I did in the Peak District.
Good luck and hope you find the ideal place for your retirement. I did.
