Where to retire in the UK
Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Just in case the youngsters are confused by the referencehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aNaXdLWt17A
My parents retired to Lincoln a good 20 or so years ago now. One of the nice villages that surround the main town. Your money goes a long way in that part of the country with respect to housing and just general cost of living. Hospitals and medical centers seem to be good and not overcrowded at all. The city itself is very nice, with a lot of history and historical architecture, and all the main shops are there the, same as anywhere else.
Over the past decade, the university expansion has brought a ton of money into the city and a lot of development has followed on from that. It’s also a big hub for Siemens and the RAF which also pump lots of money into the local economy.
Connectivity wise I’ve always thought it fairly decent. It’s 20mins of uncrowded dual carriageway to the A1, and is only about 130 miles from central London. Used to drive it regularly on a Friday night in a couple of hours. Crime is also very low.
The train links over the past decade have improved a lot. You can now catch a train direct from Lincoln to London Kings Cross in 2hrs. My parents and their chums take advantage of cheap fares on this service all the time for London day trips. A few nearby airports like Robinhood for quick city breaks, but LHR is only around a 3hr drive if you avoid traffic. So again no big deal for trips further afield.
Overall I’d say it’s a pretty good place to retire to, and this is coming from the POV of someone that’s lived and worked all over the world, not just the UK.
Over the past decade, the university expansion has brought a ton of money into the city and a lot of development has followed on from that. It’s also a big hub for Siemens and the RAF which also pump lots of money into the local economy.
Connectivity wise I’ve always thought it fairly decent. It’s 20mins of uncrowded dual carriageway to the A1, and is only about 130 miles from central London. Used to drive it regularly on a Friday night in a couple of hours. Crime is also very low.
The train links over the past decade have improved a lot. You can now catch a train direct from Lincoln to London Kings Cross in 2hrs. My parents and their chums take advantage of cheap fares on this service all the time for London day trips. A few nearby airports like Robinhood for quick city breaks, but LHR is only around a 3hr drive if you avoid traffic. So again no big deal for trips further afield.
Overall I’d say it’s a pretty good place to retire to, and this is coming from the POV of someone that’s lived and worked all over the world, not just the UK.
The Isle of Man takes some beating as a retirement spot IMO.
Not Uk, but a UK pension will follow you and health care is reciprocal with UK NHS for everything other than repatriation.
Good lifestyle, good healthcare, virtually no crime, loads to do, beautiful scenery, plenty of good restaurants pubs etc.
Currently no COVId in the community with the exception of a brief 3 week lockdown since June last year, so no masks social distancing or other restrictions on gatherings.
That does mean that for now getting on and off is an issue (you can still relocate here though) but once that is resolved easy access to Liverpool. Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Bristol, Birmingham etc.
All short flights, arrive at airport an hour before and no ones house is more than 45 minutes from airport, most are within 20 minutes. If I have to fly anywhere (which is most weeks pre covid) I leave the house 1h 20m before takeoff. Flights are cheap if booked in advance. Liverpool less than £50 return, Gatwick about £60 return.
Ferry is cheaper but takes longer.
Loads moving here at the moment.
Not Uk, but a UK pension will follow you and health care is reciprocal with UK NHS for everything other than repatriation.
Good lifestyle, good healthcare, virtually no crime, loads to do, beautiful scenery, plenty of good restaurants pubs etc.
Currently no COVId in the community with the exception of a brief 3 week lockdown since June last year, so no masks social distancing or other restrictions on gatherings.
That does mean that for now getting on and off is an issue (you can still relocate here though) but once that is resolved easy access to Liverpool. Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Bristol, Birmingham etc.
All short flights, arrive at airport an hour before and no ones house is more than 45 minutes from airport, most are within 20 minutes. If I have to fly anywhere (which is most weeks pre covid) I leave the house 1h 20m before takeoff. Flights are cheap if booked in advance. Liverpool less than £50 return, Gatwick about £60 return.
Ferry is cheaper but takes longer.
Loads moving here at the moment.
Edited by Davetheraver on Friday 26th February 07:50
Johnspex said:
SCEtoAUX said:
Is climate a biggy? If so you are perhaps looking at Devon and Cornwall. (I live in Somerset on the Devon border).
Cornwall - Terrible transport links, generally to be avoided
Devon - Better, and Exeter is quite nice. Way better transport links than Cornwall.
Dorset though would be my choice. Towns like Dorchester, Blandford Forum and Wimborne Minster are well worth a look.
Me though, I'm heading north and shall be moving to Scotland once the COVID stuff is over. All I want is a little cottage with a log burner, not too far from a town and pub. Books to read, beer to drink, hills to climb.
I wanted to live in North Devon all my working life. Now I do and I love it. We've been here 4 years .Cornwall - Terrible transport links, generally to be avoided
Devon - Better, and Exeter is quite nice. Way better transport links than Cornwall.
Dorset though would be my choice. Towns like Dorchester, Blandford Forum and Wimborne Minster are well worth a look.
Me though, I'm heading north and shall be moving to Scotland once the COVID stuff is over. All I want is a little cottage with a log burner, not too far from a town and pub. Books to read, beer to drink, hills to climb.
However, the rain fall is astonishing .
My parents moved here in 76 and despite hundreds of visits I really didn't appreciate how much it rains. We haven't had 3 consecutive days without rain since October. This year is by no means exceptional .
There are no big towns except Barnstaple and there is no culture at all. All the good restaurants are in the South or Cornwall .
Would I live anywhere else ? No.
My in-laws live in Exmouth and it rains far less there
dvs_dave said:
My parents retired to Lincoln a good 20 or so years ago now. One of the nice villages that surround the main town. Your money goes a long way in that part of the country with respect to housing and just general cost of living. Hospitals and medical centers seem to be good and not overcrowded at all. The city itself is very nice, with a lot of history and historical architecture, and all the main shops are there the, same as anywhere else.
Over the past decade, the university expansion has brought a ton of money into the city and a lot of development has followed on from that. It’s also a big hub for Siemens and the RAF which also pump lots of money into the local economy.
Connectivity wise I’ve always thought it fairly decent. It’s 20mins of uncrowded dual carriageway to the A1, and is only about 130 miles from central London. Used to drive it regularly on a Friday night in a couple of hours. Crime is also very low.
The train links over the past decade have improved a lot. You can now catch a train direct from Lincoln to London Kings Cross in 2hrs. My parents and their chums take advantage of cheap fares on this service all the time for London day trips. A few nearby airports like Robinhood for quick city breaks, but LHR is only around a 3hr drive if you avoid traffic. So again no big deal for trips further afield.
Overall I’d say it’s a pretty good place to retire to, and this is coming from the POV of someone that’s lived and worked all over the world, not just the UK.
I'd agree with much of that. To me, the key problem with Lincoln nowadays is the terrible traffic congestion.Over the past decade, the university expansion has brought a ton of money into the city and a lot of development has followed on from that. It’s also a big hub for Siemens and the RAF which also pump lots of money into the local economy.
Connectivity wise I’ve always thought it fairly decent. It’s 20mins of uncrowded dual carriageway to the A1, and is only about 130 miles from central London. Used to drive it regularly on a Friday night in a couple of hours. Crime is also very low.
The train links over the past decade have improved a lot. You can now catch a train direct from Lincoln to London Kings Cross in 2hrs. My parents and their chums take advantage of cheap fares on this service all the time for London day trips. A few nearby airports like Robinhood for quick city breaks, but LHR is only around a 3hr drive if you avoid traffic. So again no big deal for trips further afield.
Overall I’d say it’s a pretty good place to retire to, and this is coming from the POV of someone that’s lived and worked all over the world, not just the UK.
anonymous said:
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anonymous said:
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Well you've given the game away now 
. I've been scanning all the posts on this thread hoping that the best kept secret stayed that way 
Although, when we told one of the OH's friends, they said "where's Wiltshire".
Another vote for Suffolk from me. We moved here 6 years ago and love it. We're in a village 4 miles from Beccles - gateway to the Broads - with Norwich only half an hour away for a city fix. Coast is 10-15 minutes away with the hotspots of Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh around 30ish mins. Countryside just outside the front door, which is perfect for lockdown walks, and in the 6 years we've been here the summer's have been terrific. The Beast from the East 1 & 2 were a bit fierce, although they didn't last long.
I spent most of my life prior to Suffolk in the South East in the St Albans area, so Suffolk definitely feels a lot different. I think the fact that Suffolk/Norfolk are a bit awkward to get to - no motorways - is a big plus in that it keeps the place a bit quieter.
I spent most of my life prior to Suffolk in the South East in the St Albans area, so Suffolk definitely feels a lot different. I think the fact that Suffolk/Norfolk are a bit awkward to get to - no motorways - is a big plus in that it keeps the place a bit quieter.
bennno said:
oblio said:
We retired to west Wales in 2018. Its the best move we have ever made having lived in numerous places across the UK.
A small village; 25 mins drive to the nearest towns (35 - 40 mins to the M4); on the edge of Brechfa Forest for walks/cycling; clean air; great village pub; lovely friendly people...
£400k would get you a lot round here.
Buys a lot less than it did a year ago! Presumably a short trip to cardigan coast also?A small village; 25 mins drive to the nearest towns (35 - 40 mins to the M4); on the edge of Brechfa Forest for walks/cycling; clean air; great village pub; lovely friendly people...
£400k would get you a lot round here.
ARHarh said:
Had this a lot when i decided to move from the Hampshire Surrey border to Shropshire, I still get that's near Birmingham isn't it? But then it what you expect when they people you know think Guildford is up north somewhere.
Where do you live in Shropshire? We’re north of Shrewsbury, it’s a wonderful county.Paul 2000 said:
Another vote for Suffolk from me. We moved here 6 years ago and love it. We're in a village 4 miles from Beccles - gateway to the Broads - with Norwich only half an hour away for a city fix. Coast is 10-15 minutes away with the hotspots of Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh around 30ish mins. Countryside just outside the front door, which is perfect for lockdown walks, and in the 6 years we've been here the summer's have been terrific. The Beast from the East 1 & 2 were a bit fierce, although they didn't last long.
I spent most of my life prior to Suffolk in the South East in the St Albans area, so Suffolk definitely feels a lot different. I think the fact that Suffolk/Norfolk are a bit awkward to get to - no motorways - is a big plus in that it keeps the place a bit quieter.
I absolutely love Walberswick. A beautiful little place, and the Anchor is one of my favourite pubs....lovely food, a great building and a pretty garden. They have little holiday chalets out back that I’d love to spend a couple of nights in at some point. I love the whole area. Southwold and Aldeburgh are great little towns, and I’m sure the surrounding villages are just as pleasant. I spent most of my life prior to Suffolk in the South East in the St Albans area, so Suffolk definitely feels a lot different. I think the fact that Suffolk/Norfolk are a bit awkward to get to - no motorways - is a big plus in that it keeps the place a bit quieter.
Beccles always seems like a nice town too, though I only ever pass through on my way to the Suffolk coast or Henham Park for Latitude.
Siko said:
ARHarh said:
Had this a lot when i decided to move from the Hampshire Surrey border to Shropshire, I still get that's near Birmingham isn't it? But then it what you expect when they people you know think Guildford is up north somewhere.
Where do you live in Shropshire? We’re north of Shrewsbury, it’s a wonderful county.Siko said:
ARHarh said:
Had this a lot when i decided to move from the Hampshire Surrey border to Shropshire, I still get that's near Birmingham isn't it? But then it what you expect when they people you know think Guildford is up north somewhere.
Where do you live in Shropshire? We’re north of Shrewsbury, it’s a wonderful county.I moved here and did the London run 3 times a week. now I just WFH, ride my bikes and fiddle with cars.
A good number of career types, military and medics seem to wash up here and go native....
Castrol for a knave said:
Siko said:
Another member of the Shropshire mafia here.....we live in a village a few miles north of Shrewsbury and just adore it. As others have said, house prices are half what they are pretty much anywhere else, you get a beautiful house with land for what you’d pay for a one bedroom flat in the smoke and you can get pretty much anywhere in an hour or two. Love it.
I tried to convince the Brummie wife that the first X towns sank, but the XI, the XIth stayed up. caiss4 said:
anonymous said:
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anonymous said:
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Well you've given the game away now . I've been scanning all the posts on this thread hoping that the best kept secret stayed that way Although, when we told one of the OH's friends, they said "where's Wiltshire".
I visited Shrewsbury last year and was very taken with it, a big enough town to have good ameneties but small enough to be friendly. Shropshire in general is lovely, as is Herefordshire but connectivity once you get close to Wales is a bit of an issue.
Up this way, Ilkley is a good call, as is Harrogate but prices reflect that and better value is to be had slightly further north, Thirsk seems to be on the up these days and has a good community, a mainline station (2hrs to London) and is close to the A1 while being handy for the Dales and Moors.
York seems to be a popular choice with people fleeing the South East and for that reason alone I'd avoid as it's character is changing as fast as the house prices are rising. But if that doesn't put you off then flooding, traffic congestion and hordes of pissed Geordies descending every weekend ought to.
We looked at Lincolnshire but despite there being some lovely places it just felt too badly connected. Racing at Snetterton has put me off Norfolk and Suffolk for the same reason - just too much driving to get anywhere.
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