Moving somewhere else for the golden years is something most of us dream of; whether it’s moving to be closer to the family, downsizing for less property maintenance or expenses, or even just moving somewhere with better weather, we’ve all thought about it from time to time. However, the difficult bit comes when you’re trying to decide where to actually go, as picking an area is only half the battle and you need to make sure you pick somewhere you’ll enjoy living from day to day.
Choosing somewhere to retire is like choosing a dog; it’s a completely individual choice that has to fit your personality. Some people will prefer a lively seaside town with lots of pubs and local music venues, whereas some will be looking for a peaceful village tucked away on a hillside that the rest of the world has forgotten about.
The selection of up-and-coming retiree town’s on Age co’s website definitely provides a good breadth of options to use as a starting point when you’re starting to think about where you might want to retire in the UK. Busier options include the bustling high street town of Ballycastle in Northern Ireland, which will keep you lively, and the Welsh town of Carmarthen which has all your usual high-street amenities while jostling for a top spot in the list of top retirement towns in wales. At the other end of the scale, we’ve got the tranquil village of Ambleside in the Lake District and the laid-back town of Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales – the latter of which I also a lively market town on the right days of the week, keeping it lively and varied. It all really comes down to your lifestyle.
As usual, the main thing when making any personal decision is to make sure that it’s the right one for you – a list of up and coming retirement towns is a useful tool, but don’t let it influence your decision making too much, Maybe your perfect retirement town is on this list, but maybe this is just a great starting point instead. I would use this list more as a tool to look at the different regions mentioned and explore towns in that area, rather than just the towns mentioned.
Personally, I don’t think you can beat the natural beauty of a quintessentially old English village like Ambleside in the Lake District. It’s got fantastic access to the tumbling, rugged fells of the area, meaning there’s plenty of scope for beautiful hikes and walks, as well as quaint buildings and the friendly community feel that comes with a small village. However, it also manages not to feel like a backwater – it may be a small village but it has enough shops and cafes as well as tourists in the summer to still feel like a lively location it’s enjoyable to spend time in.
In conclusion, it can be overwhelming trying to start looking for retirement towns as it’s such an important decision. A list like this of up-and-coming retirement towns is a fantastic tool to helo you get your search started, and it comprehensively covers a range of tastes – so happy looking! But just remember, there are plenty more hidden gems out there.
