How did you decide where to retire?

You seem very undecided indeed there is such a big differance between Yorkshire and Devon isn't there.
We retired back to our homeground on The Wirral where we have good easy transport to Liverpool/Chester and good access to Countryside for days out.
Make sure you choose somewhere which has good shops nearby for you both and that you can get to Doctors/Banks etc.

We are still in that dilemma - I retired (made redundant) at the end of last year and husband officially in March although he is still doing some work as self employed. We have lived where we are for the last 33 years and have no family round us. Trying desperately to decide whether to stay put or move back to our home town at the coast where we have a small property.

As you are the only driver this has to be one of the foremost things to think about where you settle. As you live in London you'll be used to public transport on hand and the bustle of the city - would you miss that if you moved to a more rural area? Do you have family in other parts of the country who would want you to move closer to them? There are some wonderful areas in this country but you need to be sure it's the right area for you to spend your retirement years in. Perhaps narrow your search down and maybe rent a holiday place for a short time to thoroughly check the area out before you make a final decision.

Canterbury, beautiful city, so much to do and see, compact so you can walk everywhere, high speed trains to London take less than an hour, excellent bus service, near to the coast and Europe.

I would definitely say not to retire to "the country". Transport etc will become a nightmare for you.

How about a town like York - very accessible, plenty to do.

We moved from Essex to Norfolk almost 2 years ago and don’t regret it for an instant.

BUT we are now 100 miles from our family ( which is nothing , we both drive and expect to drive for some years yet) . Bear in mind Norfolk is mostly small towns and villages, we drive much more than we ever did when we lived in a city .

Not every village has the amenities you will require and bus services are often either sporadic or lengthy .

I think you really need to experience your shortlist of areas , you’ll be surprised at what in terms of pros and cons .

Good luck

Have you thought of South Gloucestershire? Has some lovely little market towns with free parking, good bus service and excellent train services especially to London (Bristol Parkway). Motorways near by give access to Wales, South West, North West and locally The Cotswold and the Forest of Dean. I moved to be near my grandchildren, stressful move, but happily settled and have become a very useful and experienced babysitter!

Your needs as you age, and what you like to do matter more than where you live.

Suburbs are often under rated but many of the amenities of the countryside or village can be found in well planned suburbs. And if you don't want to drive it's a lot easier to live next to a good bus stop in a suburb than in a country village where there might be no public transport at all.

You will have to narrow your search birchermuesli otherwise you will never make a decision. Make a list of your requirements and what you are prepared to compromise on.
Good luck

It was easy for us to decide. We lived north of London in an increasingly built up town. Our quiet street was virtually a grey dirty car park.
My daughter had married and moved to SW Wales. So we sold up, went to live with her for a while until we found a house. Absolutely lovely area with wonderful friendly people. Clean and green to.

If you have kids I would definitely factor where they live into the equation. Check that areas have decent bus/train routes and that good hospitals are not too far away.
Look at what kind of social activities are around. MIL has moved to a place where there is a busy U3A and she is v happy there.
We moved from a busy suburb to a village but I have realised that I am more of a townie. Villages can be v quiet.
Maybe consider moving to a different kind of property rather than a different area?

Dolcelatte I agree Canterbury and surrounding area are lovely.
Unfortunately the road networks in Kent are terrible. I wouldn't advise anyone to move to Kent, in fact even though it's my home county I'd move tomorrow.
Things to consider. Devon and Yorkshire are hilly. Which ever area you decide on, make sure GP surgery is handy, there is at least a small shop near by and a bus stop within walking distance.
Good luck

We had no pre-conceived ideas as to area but we made a list of the things we consider essential to a happy life (for us - others will have their own criteria). These included comfortable walking distance to doctors, dentists, essential shops, local restaurant(s) and real ale pub; a frequent bus service to and from the nearest major conurbation; railway station with train service to adjacent major towns; fast broadband; relatively flat terrain because OH's mobility problems mean he can't deal with hills without pain. There were a few more but those are the principal ones I recall.

We then started sifting through houses of the right type, size and price on Right Move until we found a few that ticked all, or most, of our boxes. In the end, we bought the first one we looked at and made the move from Greater London to a little town just outside Lincoln. Never regretted it but consider it was well worth the time we spent doing our advance homework!

If you are coming from London I would be surprised if you would love a village.
We returned from Holland to a smallish market town.
We are on two bus routes, near enough to two large hospital trusts, on a train route to London and our DC. Close enough to a motorway although I am happy to drive on it.
We have beautiful country side nearby in fact can walk from our house to a local beauty spot.
We are also near two U3A groups, 3 Women's Institutes and a lively NWR group.
These are all things to consider when you move. It is not as easy to make good friends when you are older.

I suppose how much you have to spend on a property partly dictates where you decide to retire, plus where family live and what type of retirement lifestyle you hope to have. Also a cottagey type of property might be great when you’re newly retired, but not so practical as you age. Plus how much or how little garden, stairs, etc. etc.

We still live in our market town, but moved from a house to a bungalow. DS and family moved back here when GC were small as the schools are good, DD lives in Australia so it is good to be near one of them.

Your decision should of course take into account any children or grandchildren, but please don't make them the sole reason for a move. I have several friends who moved to be close to family, only to find the children then moved (for work), with another friend their DiL broke away and took GCs with her, and another is so disappointed at the lack of involvement with GCs they want to move back. It's a mine field.

Do you have many friends where you live now? If so, I would consider moving out not too far from London, so you can all still meet up regularly. (perhaps on a train route into Kent or Sussex.) That's of course IF they are likely to want to do that. It is not easy for some people to make new friends, but of course not every needs or wants friends. That is one thing to consider.

Do you have close family anywhere, if so I would ask their opinion. You could move within half hours drive, not on their doorstep.

You could consider selling up first, putting essentials into store, and renting somewhere for 6 months. I agree a small city or market town would be better than a village, especially as you may no longer wish to drive at some point.

For me sunshine and warm weather is important. We are in Suffolk which doesn't have much rain. I used to be in Devon, which is green for a reason, especially in winter. Lots to consider, exciting times.

@Nina - you may be right about Kent traffic but I think that it is similar in many places. The point about Canterbury is that you just don't need a car as everything is walkable and public transport is so good. OP isn't keen on driving so sounds like a good fit. Also, if she is moving from London, I think a rural village in Norfolk or Yorkshire would be a bit of a culture shock and too far away from her friends and family in London.

I am from Canterbury but wouldn’t move back there now. It’s far too busy and you’d starve to death on the High St except for M&S. It’s mostly tourist tat and stuff aimed at students.

If that area appeals, I’d suggest Faversham. It’s friendly, has decent shops, a mainline station and plenty to keep you busy.

One thing to be considered is entertainment. We used to live in Suffolk and could easily get to London, Norwich and Cambridge, not to mention smaller towns like Ipswich, Bury St Edmonds and also Snape Maltings was on our doorstep. I made a resolution 30 years ago that we would go to something every week, even if it was just the cinema. It's the only resolution that I've managed to keep, until moving to rural France where it is much more difficult. We're both keen on contemporary dance, ballet and modern jazz and do miss it.
I'd recommend B St E or Woodbridge in Suffolk, both of which have reasonable train links. Bus services are quite good during the day and the beer (Adnams) is excellent.

Thank you so much everybody, what a brilliant response with lots for me to think about. Husband and I have been working abroad for many years so although we are temporarily back in our old London flat, London holds no ties for us. Many good points made by you all, thanks again.

I can understand your reasons for wanting to leave London, we don't regret it one bit.

Do you have friends or family in other parts of the country? Could you ask them to do the research for you? If you take the right approach it is quite easy to make new friends wherever you go so don't worry about that.

May I suggest a suburb of one of the big conurbations? You would then still have access to many facilities and have good public transport. Not many offer as good free facilities as the Freedom Pass but many of them do have something more than the basic bus pass.

When we decided where we wanted to live we chose somewhere very convenient. We live in a cul de sac just off a main road and near a good parade of shops. If, or when, we can't drive everything we need will be close by.

Good luck

@dinahmo thank you, will check out Bury St Edmunds and Woodbridge. Hope you are happy in France.

Do most people move when they retire then everyone I knows just retires where they are ?

We moved, mainly because we lived in the university area of a big town and over the 15 years we lived there the university expanded so much and 24 hour drinking came in, so instead of just having noisy Saturday evenings, we had noise and vandalism 24/7. However we only moved 20 miles so that we could still do the things we always did and keep up with friends in the area.

If I lived in London and the only driver was a nervous driver, I would stay in the London area. Not necessarily the centre, but get to the leafy suburbs, especially within the green belt. All the advantages of country living and all the facilities of a great city as well, tubes, suburban trains, an extensive bus network and the endless cultural opportunities.