Would you move to the country?

The problem with living in the country is lack of services and very patchy public transport. While you can drive there is not too much difficulty, loose the car and you’re stuck. So be very careful to choose a town with good access to shops and health facilities. Not a small Hamlet, that’s just a dream!.
As you live in the sunny south, weather in Derbyshire will be significantly wetter and colder, they do have spells of nice weather, just not as many as the south.

No I wouldn't move to the country - I'm a city girl and that's the lifestyle I enjoy.

DS1 lives in deepest Somerset and I pay £30 one way for a taxi from the station as there's little public transport and none that serves his hamlet.

As has been said, think about the weather! Being on the south coast you currently enjoy the UK's sunniest climate - no wonder Bognor, Eastbourne, Hastings etc are retirement destinations. Derbyshire is lovely but the weather can be very dreary.

I have always lived in a rural area and absolutely love it. We live across a couple of fields off a quiet lane, when we get home we shut the gates and shut out the mad world it is bliss. One day we may have to move when we give up driving but with on line shopping so easy we will decide later on. We are in our sixties.

I lived in a town but for 10 years have been in rural setting. In spite of all the hype of rural transport improvement I haven't seen any and I have come to realise how important that is. Seriously considering a move back into town.

Suggest that you spend a few holidays in the areas that you like, self catering , and see just what facilities are available but beware- when you live in a village, they are the first to lose things when budgets get cut even though the residents are usually paying more in council tax than town dwellers .

We are in the process of looking(early 60s) . I do not drive. Top priority doctors, shop, public transport and not too far from a hospital. Love the countryside but think town is a neccessity .

We did exactly that 9 yrs ago. Haven't regretted it since. Have a look at Rutland, we will even have a McDonalds soon !!

After retiring from London to rural France for nine years, I have returned to live near my family, friends and London. At the age of 70, I knew that living alone in an isolated village and being dependent on the car was not practical for the future. My choice was confirmed by what happened to a friend who is very obese and still in her sixties. She lives in a French village and had gone for a shower, but because her shower was out of action, stepped into the bath, intending to stand there instead, but slipped and remained imprisoned there for nine days, with her cat! She found herself apologising to her cat for not being able to feed him, and kept warm by running warm water. She was rescued when her family in England realised that they hadn't heard from her and alerted the maire, who ironically only lives two doors down from her. I am buying a little apartment in a retirement complex in the centre of a small town, and feel very content with my choice.

suesockswe moved from Essex to a small village in the Yorkshire Dales although beautiful it was too big a leap for me from services and facilities plus it was very cold in winter not good for my arthritis etc. There was little to do unless you were artistic or a a craftsperson, did hunting shooting, fishing etc. Lots of the cottages were summer visitors only so it was VERY quiet in winter. The Peak District may be similar.
We moved to an East Midlands market town which is set in beautiful countryside, has a good range of facilities and amenities and lots of clubs and societies and we can walk into town. We also bought a new build house which is larger and warmer than our cottage - no regrets. I hope you make the right choice for you.

When I moved aged 55, I had to imagine myself aged 90 (my mother's ge then). So I looked for easy walk to shops (plural), close to bus routes (plural), access to train station, walking distance from surgery. Was never good with hills btw. I would prefer to be within 15 mins by car from a hospital, and have access to a vets, preferably with a hospital attached.
I wanted to be near the sea, as I'd moved 40 miles inland, and missed it.
Like SueSocks, I live in a town, on the south coast. Can't imagine wanting to leave the coast.

We moved to a small town population c2000 and love it. I had a wish list before moving doctors and dentist within walking distance bus service and house to be on a flat road having lived at the top of hills most of our life. Found everything we needed and more.
We have a few shops and lots of clubs and activity groups. If we wanted we could do 6 activities a day in our community centre. I think in small towns people make there own entertainment. We have two larger towns 8 and 15 miles away both serviced by local bus.
The town we moved from was being overdeveloped as it was close to a city unlikely to happen here. We have been very happy and accepted by locals.

I wouldn’t now, I am 63, maybe in my thirties as my parents did. They became established in the community. They were nine miles from the main town. We have to bear in mind hospitals, transport.
I have lived in the country when my children were very young, now I am older I prefer the feeling of having amenities and people around me, it is quite comforting.

We are in our mid 60s and moved last year to a tiny village in the Lincolnshire Wolds, to live in a victorian station with a 3 acre garden. Never thought I'd be using a ride on mower in my 60s! The village has no amenities except the village hall and no bus service. A mobile fish and chip van calls once each week and there is a pub 2 miles away that sells some groceries. There are miles of footpaths for dogwalking and a WI in the village. The nearest town is about 8 miles away. We have found the people in the village to be very welcoming and friendly. Since moving here we have both developed health issues but we are lucky to be part of a great community who will help with lifts to doctors, hospital etc. Most things can be delivered including prescription drugs, and we do a lot of our shopping online. At present we both still drive but are aware that there will come a time when it becomes too much for us to manage. We are hoping to have 10 to 15 years living in this beautiful place and will then probably have to move again. I would say give it a go. I have no regrets about moving here and I think it's really sad that some people will get ready for old age before they need to. You should do it.

In 2005 I moved from a small rural town in Perthshire to be nearer my daughter in Aberdeen. I have never regretted that move. I li ve in the Old Aberdeen area. 1 mile from the sea, 1 mile from the centre of the city, the bus stop is 400 yard away, the Drs surgery is next door. There are 2 parks for walking the dogs within a mile and best of all the choice of 2 supermarkets also within a mile. My daughter lives 3 miles away. What more do I need at 79 years old.

@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.

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.

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!

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.