The Top 10 Places to Retire
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The top 10 places to retire
What does it tell us? That Devon and Dorset will remain firm favourites for years to come – but also that several northern districts beat the south hands down when it comes to quality of life. None of the big cities came anywhere near the top of the rankings, perhaps confirming the first findings from the government's National Wellbeing Programme that the happiest people live in remote areas. It ties in with a 2009 survey by Saga, which found the single most important factor older people identify as key for their retirement is access to the countryside. But the retirement idylls come at a price. Typically, a detached home in one of the top 10 locations, will cost £325,000, with surprisingly little difference between north and south; there's barely a whisker between the Derbyshire Dales and North Dorset. The two top locations for those with a smaller budget were Torridge in north-east Devon and, the perhaps appropriately named, Eden area of Cumbria. All come with relatively high council tax, typically around £1,500 for a Band D home, significantly higher than the average £1,304 in London. Transport is also an issue. While areas such as Skipton have easy access to motorways and decent rail links, some that scored well, such as West Devon, have no mainline stations. But every district that came in the top 10 claimed to have good public toilets in their town centres. So what are the 10 best places to retire to in England? 1 Craven Where is it? Uber-rural district in North Yorkshire, centred on the market town of Skipton, taking in towns High Bentham and Settle and a good chunk of the Yorkshire Dales. Annual rainfall: 883 mls (34.7 ins), below UK average of 1,126mls. Sunshine hours per year: 1334.4. UK average 1354.9. Population: 55,400 (120 people per sq mile). Crime rate: 194.59 crimes per 10,000 population – 10th lowest out of 324 districts in England. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.43%. Why here? Picture-perfect market towns with access to swathes of countryside from the iconic three peaks Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside in Ribblesdale, through the moorlands and meadows of Wharfedale, to the dramatic limestone of Malhamdale. Skipton's high street is a past winner of the Academy of Urbanism's (academyofurbanism.org.uk) award for the greatest street in the land judged on criteria including user friendliness, local character and distinctiveness, environmental and social sustainability and commercial success and viability. Skipton market is one of the oldest in the country, dating to medieval times. It was voted best market day out in Yorkshire by readers of the Yorkshire Post.
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What will it cost? Average: £202,386. Detached: £308,105; semi: £180,951; terrace: £155,169; flat: £188,131. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,526. Health: Hospitals (rated by Care Quality Commission): Airedale General – 5 out of 5. Life expectancy: 79.7. Beauty spots: Yorkshire Dales National Park, Malham Cove, Bolton Abbey. Culture/leisure fix: Settle Victoria Hall, one of the oldest Victorian music halls, now a theatre. Craven Museum and Gallery in Skipton Town Hall. Getting around: M65, M6, A1 (M), A59, A65. Rail stations: Skipton, Settle. Skipton to London just over three hours. 2 North Dorset Where is it? Includes Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset is in the River Stour valley – the Blackmore Vale. Annual rainfall: 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: Very high at 1626.1. Population: 64,200 (270 per sq mile). Crime rate: 222.55, ranked 24th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 93.74%. Why here? Lush, dairy-farming land of the Blackmore Vale. Marnhull ("Marlott"), is backdrop for Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Shaftesbury is home to Gold Hill, location for the 1973 Ridley Scott-directed ad for Hovis. What will it cost? Average: £239,571. Detached: £328,252; semi: £208,136; terrace: £150,021; flat: £118,845. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,588. Health Hospitals: Blandford Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Westminster Memorial, Shaftesbury (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.9. Beauty spots: Sturminster Newton Mill, Blandford Forum's Stour Meadows. Culture/leisure fix: The Exchange arts centre in Sturminster Newton. The Great Dorset Steam Fair, where the world's largest collection of working steam engines are displayed at the village of Tarrant Hinton in September. Getting around: A350, A354 and A35. Main rail link at Gillingham. Two hours to London, Waterloo. 3 West Devon
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Where is it? In the heart of rural Devon, taking in around half of Dartmoor National Park. Administered from Tavistock, includes Okehampton, Chagford and Princetown. Annual rainfall: 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 53,100 (120 per sq mile). Crime rate: 201.33, ranked 15th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 90.78%. Why here? Dartmoor's wealth of wildly differing landscapes has to be the big draw. Village pubs offering cider and cream teas. Pretty villages with thatched cottages. Regular farmers' markets in Hatherleigh, Okehampton and Tavistock, the latter voted the best in the south west. What will it cost? Average: £250,501. Detached: £346,619; semi: £189,716; terrace: £161,804; flat: £177,642.Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,601. Health Hospitals: Tavistock - 5 out of 5; Okehampton (not inspected yet by CQC); Moretonhampstead (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.3. Beauty spots: Dartmoor National Park, Unesco World Heritage Site West Devon Mining, Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Culture/leisure fix: Tavistock Wharf theatre, cinema and cultural centre, Okehampton-based Baring Gould Folk Festival. Roadford Lake with over 730 acres for watersports, fishing and birdwatching plus paths and bridleways. Getting around: Poor. No mainline stations. Three-four hours to London by train from Exeter and Plymouth. 4 Purbeck Where is it? Takes in the Isle of Purbeck peninsula and extends north and west along the River Frome. District council based in Wareham and includes Swanage, Upton, Wool, Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster. Annual rainfall: 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: Very high at 1626.1. Population: 45,200 (290 per sq mile). Crime rate: 239.60, ranked 35th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 93.01%.
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Why here? Purbeck is a walkers' paradise with huge areas of "outstanding natural beauty", swathes of internationally important nature conservation areas, and most of the coastline comprises the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, England's only natural World Heritage Site recognised for its unique geology. Swanage with its Blue Flag beach retains its character as a friendly, Victorian seaside resort while Wareham is a traditional Dorset market town with regular farmers' markets offering local produce. What's more, you'll never run short of thatched cottages, cosy pubs and smart eateries. What will it cost? Average: £286,658. Detached: £379,502; semi: £214,810; terrace: £217,160; flat: £197,170. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,629. Health Hospitals: Poole - 4 out of 5; St Ann's, Poole - 5 out of 5; Weymouth Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Beauty spots: Durlston Country Park nature reserve and castle near Swanage. Durdle Door, Portland stone rock formation near Lulworth. Kimmeridge Bay. Studland Beach. Culture/leisure fix: Summer outdoor cinema and theatre productions at Lulworth Castle and Park. Burngate stone carving centre, Langton Matravers. Swanage steam railway. Getting around: A351 which comes off the A35. Train stations at Wareham and Wool – 2.5 hours to London. 5 East Devon Where is it? Council based in Sidmouth. Largest town Exmouth. District includes Budleigh Salterton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton, Axminster, Honiton and Budleigh Salterton. Annual rainfall: Relatively high at 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 132,900 (420 per sq mile). Crime rate: 221.02, ranked 22nd. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.72%. Why here? Stunning countryside and traditional seaside resorts. Two thirds of the district is designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty: Exmouth to Lyme Regis and up to Honiton. To the north of Honiton is the Blackdown Hills. Add to that the fact that the entire East Devon coastline from Exmouth to the border with Dorset is part of the designated world heritage site, the Jurassic Coast. What will it cost? Average: £247,299. Detached: £345,930; semi: £207,084; terrace: £180,241; flat: £197,739. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,507. Beauty spots: The Blackdown Hills. Budleigh Salterton's pebble beach and red cliffs. Exmouth, the western gateway world heritage coast site.
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Culture/leisure fix: Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton. Theatres in Sidmouth and Exmouth. Axe Valley Heritage Museum. Bicton Park Botanical Gardens. Health Hospitals: Sidmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Exmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Honiton (not inspected yet by CQC); Budleigh Salterton (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.5. Getting around: A30/A303 links the M3 in the east to Exeter and the M5 in the west. Main stations at Axminster and Honiton – approx three hours to London. Exeter airport in East Devon. 6 West Dorset Where is it? Administered from the county town of Dorchester in the south, the other main towns are Sherborne in the north, Bridport in the west and the smaller coastal town of Lyme Regis at the county border with Devon. Annual rainfall: Low at 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1626.1. Population: 96,700 (230 per sq mile). Crime rate: 275.96, ranked 64th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.79%. Why here? A Mecca for film and TV producers looking for stunning locations. You'll get a good idea of the district's beauty from the 2010 film Tamara Drewe starring Gemma Arterton, The French Lieutenant's Woman starring Meryl Streep filmed around Lyme Regis and the TV adaptations of Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008, Gemma Arterton again) and The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003), both novels by West Dorset's literary son Thomas Hardy. The district is large and varied, offering a good choice of base, whether your taste be a coastal market town like Bridport, the historic county town of Dorchester or a picture-book inland village like Cerne Abbas. What will it cost? Average: £252,272. Detached £329,731; semi £237,378; terrace: £202,696; flat £153,965. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,604. Beauty spots: Lyme Regis promenade, Golden Cap, Bulbarrow Hill. Culture/leisure fix: Dorset County Museum, Sherbourne Abbey, Castle and Almshouses, Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, Thomas Hardy's house Max Gate in Dorchester. Health Hospitals: Dorset County , Dorchester - 5 out of 5; Yeatman Community Hospital, Sherborne (not inspected yet by CQC); Axminster (not inspected yet by CQC); Bridport Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.4.
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Getting around: Not great. No motorways. Main roads in/out A31 and A35. Main station: Dorchester South – two hours 36 minutes to London Waterloo. 7 Torridge Where is it? Named after the River Torridge, it is in North East Devon, bordering Cornwall to the south, and is administered from Bideford. Main towns and villages include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!, The island of Lundy is administratively part of the district. Annual rainfall: Relatively high at 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 65,800 (170 per sq mile). Crime rate: 195.41, ranked 12th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.05%. Why here? Phrases like "untouched by time", "time has stood still" leap from the tourist literature. The traffic-free village of Clovelly, for example, home of the Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley, is famed for its single cobbled high street winding through 16th-century, whitewashed cottages to a small harbour. The ancient Port Town of Holsworthy runs one of the largest livestock markets in the country and lies in the heart of "Ruby Country", a "designated area of tranquillity", where a new initiative provides walking, cycling and horse-riding trails on themes such as culture, heritage and food and drink. Look for the thriving Torridge branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) for retired people, which centres on Bideford, with over 450 members and 40-plus interest groups. What will it cost? Average: £193,557. Detached: £255,965; semi: £173,435; terrace: £151,927; flat: £106,033. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,532. Health Hospitals: Bideford Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Holsworthy Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Torrington Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 78.4. Beauty spots: Lundy Island, Hartland Peninsula, Northam Burrows Country Park, 253 hectares of grassy coastal plain with salt marsh, sand dunes and the Pebble Ridge. Culture/leisure fix: Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford, the Plough Arts Centre in Torrington. Royal Horticultural Society's Rosemoor Gardens, Great Torrington. Getting around: Dreadful. No motorways. Main roads in/out A39 and A377. No mainline stations in Torridge – drive for an hour to Exeter or Tiverton and train takes two-three hours to London. 8 Eden
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Where is it? Appropriately named Eden is in Cumbria, includes part of the Lake District National Park and has its council in Penrith. It includes the market towns of Appleby-inWestmoreland and Kirkby Stephen. Annual rain fall: High at 1331.9 mls (52.4 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1307.9. Population:51,800 (63 per sq mile). Crime rate: 196.14, ranked 13th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.40%. Why here? The name says it all. If it is peace and being in touch with nature that you crave most, here's the place that's so rich in rural variety, it could give you idyll indigestion. You've got the mountains and lakes of Ullswater, the rolling countryside of the Eden Valley and the moorlands of Alston and the North Pennines. With only 63 people per square mile, it also has the lowest population density of any of England's 324 local government districts. Base yourself in the market town of Penrith, known as the "old red town" because of its sandstone buildings, and you've got easy access to the surrounding countryside plus great road and rail links to Scotland, England and across the Pennines. What will it cost? A bargain. Average: £184,800. Detached: £242,458; semi: £170,891; terrace: £157,646; flat: £117,184. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,559. Health Hospitals: Voreda, Penrith - 5 out of 5; Penrith (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 78.2. Beauty spots: Ullswater, Lowther Castle and Country Gardens. Culture/leisure fix: Ullswater Steamers, South Tynedale Railway, Upfront gallery and puppet theatre. Getting around: M6, A6 and A66. Main rail stations at Penrith and Appleby. 3.5 hours to London direct from Penrith. 9 South Hams Where is it? On the south coast of Devon. Headquarters are in Totnes, South Hams. To the north it includes part of Dartmoor National Park, to the east borders Torbay, and to the west Plymouth. Contains Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe, the largest of which is Ivybridge. Annual rainfall: 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 83,700 (240 per sq mile).
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Crime rate: 182.40, ranked 5th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.04%. Why here? Perfect for sea lovers, anglers, wild swimmers and sailors. The unspoilt coastline of South Hams includes Start Point and Bolt Head. The entire coastline, along with the lower Avon and Dart valleys, forms most of the South Devon area of outstanding natural beauty. Take your pick from 25 varied beaches in South Hams; huge sweeps of flat golden sand at Bigbury or Thurlstone, a sheltered cove like Hallsands, spectacular Slapton Sands backed by a freshwater lagoon, the wooded suntrap of Blackpool Sands with extensive facilities or perhaps Wembury with its excellent marine interpretation centre and rockpool rambles. Totnes, said to have more listed buildings per head than any other English town, is a thriving centre for music, art, theatre and natural health and is known for its sizeable "New Age" community. Retirees can let out the bohemian they perhaps kept under wraps during their working lives. What will it cost? Pricier than most. Average: £286,271. Detached: £395,275; semi: £244,885; terrace: £216,197; flat: £259,190. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,530. Health Hospitals: Totnes (not inspected yet by CQC); Dartmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Torbay - 5 out of 5; Mount Gould, Plymouth - 5 out of 5. Life expectancy: 79. Beauty spots: Blue Flag beaches Bigbury on Sea, Challaborogh and Blackpool Sands. Culture/leisure fix: Dartington Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Natural World. Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth. Totnes Elizabethan House Museum. Sharpham Vineyard and Cheese Dairy. Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel reached by sea tractor when the tide is in. Getting around: No motorways. Main roads in/out are A38, A385, A 381. Main rail stations at Totnes and Ivybridge –three-four hours to London. 10 Derbyshire Dales Where is it? A long area bordering Sheffield in the north, and Derby in the south, about half of the district is in the Peak District National Park. With its district offices in Matlock, most of its population lies along the River Derwent with settlements including Bakewell, Ashbourne, Winster, Hartington, Wirksworth and Eyam. Annual rainfall: Surprisingly low at 920.2 mls (36.2 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1343.4. Population: 70,400 (230 per sq mile). Crime rate: 229.10, ranked 28th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.63%.
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Why here? Undulating, beautiful landscape – the ultimate gentle, walking country – dotted with picturesque villages and towns with a variety of characters. Bakewell, the market town for the Peak District National Park, has old stone buildings, a medieval bridge over the river Wye, and lots of individual shops, speciality food outlets, good places to eat and, of course, Bakewell tarts. Ashbourne offers Georgian streets, cobbled yards and antique shops, while Matlock was developed as a Victorian Spa. Perfect for outdoor-lovers is the new Monsal Trail, running around 20km from Bakewell to Buxton along an old railway line, and following the path of the River Wye, which has been newly refurbished to offer spectacular scenery and access for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. What will it cost? Average: £234,090. Detached: £318,523; semi: £206,182; terrace: £182,832; flat: £151,088. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,539. Health Hospitals: Whitworth (not inspected yet by CQC); Newholme (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.3. Beauty spots: Dovedale. Lathkill Dale. Stanage, the largest of the gritstone edges, north of Hathersage. Culture/leisure fix: Ashbourne Festival. The Heights Of Abraham caverns, cable car and more near Matlock Bath. Getting around: Lots of tourist traffic. M1 skirts the district with access via A6 and A50. Main rail stations Matlock, Matlock Bath and just outside the district is Chesterfield and Derby – around 90 minutes to London, St Pancras.
• Statistics on rainfall and sunshine hours by county supplied by the Met Office, and can be compared with the UK average annual rainfall of 1,126.1 mls (44.3 ins) and 1,354.9 average hours of sunshine per year. Scores for the major hospitals in, or nearest to, each of the retirement areas, are based on assessments by the Care Quality Commission, which inspects hospitals in England to see that they meet government standards of quality and safety. Five measures are used and the results are published on the CQC's website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jul/27/top-10-places-to-retire
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What does it tell us? That Devon and Dorset will remain firm favourites for years to come – but also that several northern districts beat the south hands down when it comes to quality of life. None of the big cities came anywhere near the top of the rankings, perhaps confirming the first findings from the government's National Wellbeing Programme that the happiest people live in remote areas. It ties in with a 2009 survey by Saga, which found the single most important factor older people identify as key for their retirement is access to the countryside. But the retirement idylls come at a price. Typically, a detached home in one of the top 10 locations, will cost £325,000, with surprisingly little difference between north and south; there's barely a whisker between the Derbyshire Dales and North Dorset. The two top locations for those with a smaller budget were Torridge in north-east Devon and, the perhaps appropriately named, Eden area of Cumbria. All come with relatively high council tax, typically around £1,500 for a Band D home, significantly higher than the average £1,304 in London. Transport is also an issue. While areas such as Skipton have easy access to motorways and decent rail links, some that scored well, such as West Devon, have no mainline stations. But every district that came in the top 10 claimed to have good public toilets in their town centres. So what are the 10 best places to retire to in England? 1 Craven Where is it? Uber-rural district in North Yorkshire, centred on the market town of Skipton, taking in towns High Bentham and Settle and a good chunk of the Yorkshire Dales. Annual rainfall: 883 mls (34.7 ins), below UK average of 1,126mls. Sunshine hours per year: 1334.4. UK average 1354.9. Population: 55,400 (120 people per sq mile). Crime rate: 194.59 crimes per 10,000 population – 10th lowest out of 324 districts in England. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.43%. Why here? Picture-perfect market towns with access to swathes of countryside from the iconic three peaks Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside in Ribblesdale, through the moorlands and meadows of Wharfedale, to the dramatic limestone of Malhamdale. Skipton's high street is a past winner of the Academy of Urbanism's (academyofurbanism.org.uk) award for the greatest street in the land judged on criteria including user friendliness, local character and distinctiveness, environmental and social sustainability and commercial success and viability. Skipton market is one of the oldest in the country, dating to medieval times. It was voted best market day out in Yorkshire by readers of the Yorkshire Post.
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What will it cost? Average: £202,386. Detached: £308,105; semi: £180,951; terrace: £155,169; flat: £188,131. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,526. Health: Hospitals (rated by Care Quality Commission): Airedale General – 5 out of 5. Life expectancy: 79.7. Beauty spots: Yorkshire Dales National Park, Malham Cove, Bolton Abbey. Culture/leisure fix: Settle Victoria Hall, one of the oldest Victorian music halls, now a theatre. Craven Museum and Gallery in Skipton Town Hall. Getting around: M65, M6, A1 (M), A59, A65. Rail stations: Skipton, Settle. Skipton to London just over three hours. 2 North Dorset Where is it? Includes Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset is in the River Stour valley – the Blackmore Vale. Annual rainfall: 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: Very high at 1626.1. Population: 64,200 (270 per sq mile). Crime rate: 222.55, ranked 24th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 93.74%. Why here? Lush, dairy-farming land of the Blackmore Vale. Marnhull ("Marlott"), is backdrop for Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Shaftesbury is home to Gold Hill, location for the 1973 Ridley Scott-directed ad for Hovis. What will it cost? Average: £239,571. Detached: £328,252; semi: £208,136; terrace: £150,021; flat: £118,845. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,588. Health Hospitals: Blandford Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Westminster Memorial, Shaftesbury (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.9. Beauty spots: Sturminster Newton Mill, Blandford Forum's Stour Meadows. Culture/leisure fix: The Exchange arts centre in Sturminster Newton. The Great Dorset Steam Fair, where the world's largest collection of working steam engines are displayed at the village of Tarrant Hinton in September. Getting around: A350, A354 and A35. Main rail link at Gillingham. Two hours to London, Waterloo. 3 West Devon
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Where is it? In the heart of rural Devon, taking in around half of Dartmoor National Park. Administered from Tavistock, includes Okehampton, Chagford and Princetown. Annual rainfall: 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 53,100 (120 per sq mile). Crime rate: 201.33, ranked 15th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 90.78%. Why here? Dartmoor's wealth of wildly differing landscapes has to be the big draw. Village pubs offering cider and cream teas. Pretty villages with thatched cottages. Regular farmers' markets in Hatherleigh, Okehampton and Tavistock, the latter voted the best in the south west. What will it cost? Average: £250,501. Detached: £346,619; semi: £189,716; terrace: £161,804; flat: £177,642.Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,601. Health Hospitals: Tavistock - 5 out of 5; Okehampton (not inspected yet by CQC); Moretonhampstead (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.3. Beauty spots: Dartmoor National Park, Unesco World Heritage Site West Devon Mining, Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Culture/leisure fix: Tavistock Wharf theatre, cinema and cultural centre, Okehampton-based Baring Gould Folk Festival. Roadford Lake with over 730 acres for watersports, fishing and birdwatching plus paths and bridleways. Getting around: Poor. No mainline stations. Three-four hours to London by train from Exeter and Plymouth. 4 Purbeck Where is it? Takes in the Isle of Purbeck peninsula and extends north and west along the River Frome. District council based in Wareham and includes Swanage, Upton, Wool, Lytchett Matravers and Lytchett Minster. Annual rainfall: 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: Very high at 1626.1. Population: 45,200 (290 per sq mile). Crime rate: 239.60, ranked 35th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 93.01%.
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Why here? Purbeck is a walkers' paradise with huge areas of "outstanding natural beauty", swathes of internationally important nature conservation areas, and most of the coastline comprises the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, England's only natural World Heritage Site recognised for its unique geology. Swanage with its Blue Flag beach retains its character as a friendly, Victorian seaside resort while Wareham is a traditional Dorset market town with regular farmers' markets offering local produce. What's more, you'll never run short of thatched cottages, cosy pubs and smart eateries. What will it cost? Average: £286,658. Detached: £379,502; semi: £214,810; terrace: £217,160; flat: £197,170. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,629. Health Hospitals: Poole - 4 out of 5; St Ann's, Poole - 5 out of 5; Weymouth Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Beauty spots: Durlston Country Park nature reserve and castle near Swanage. Durdle Door, Portland stone rock formation near Lulworth. Kimmeridge Bay. Studland Beach. Culture/leisure fix: Summer outdoor cinema and theatre productions at Lulworth Castle and Park. Burngate stone carving centre, Langton Matravers. Swanage steam railway. Getting around: A351 which comes off the A35. Train stations at Wareham and Wool – 2.5 hours to London. 5 East Devon Where is it? Council based in Sidmouth. Largest town Exmouth. District includes Budleigh Salterton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton, Axminster, Honiton and Budleigh Salterton. Annual rainfall: Relatively high at 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 132,900 (420 per sq mile). Crime rate: 221.02, ranked 22nd. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.72%. Why here? Stunning countryside and traditional seaside resorts. Two thirds of the district is designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty: Exmouth to Lyme Regis and up to Honiton. To the north of Honiton is the Blackdown Hills. Add to that the fact that the entire East Devon coastline from Exmouth to the border with Dorset is part of the designated world heritage site, the Jurassic Coast. What will it cost? Average: £247,299. Detached: £345,930; semi: £207,084; terrace: £180,241; flat: £197,739. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,507. Beauty spots: The Blackdown Hills. Budleigh Salterton's pebble beach and red cliffs. Exmouth, the western gateway world heritage coast site.
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Culture/leisure fix: Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton. Theatres in Sidmouth and Exmouth. Axe Valley Heritage Museum. Bicton Park Botanical Gardens. Health Hospitals: Sidmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Exmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Honiton (not inspected yet by CQC); Budleigh Salterton (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.5. Getting around: A30/A303 links the M3 in the east to Exeter and the M5 in the west. Main stations at Axminster and Honiton – approx three hours to London. Exeter airport in East Devon. 6 West Dorset Where is it? Administered from the county town of Dorchester in the south, the other main towns are Sherborne in the north, Bridport in the west and the smaller coastal town of Lyme Regis at the county border with Devon. Annual rainfall: Low at 934 mls (36.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1626.1. Population: 96,700 (230 per sq mile). Crime rate: 275.96, ranked 64th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.79%. Why here? A Mecca for film and TV producers looking for stunning locations. You'll get a good idea of the district's beauty from the 2010 film Tamara Drewe starring Gemma Arterton, The French Lieutenant's Woman starring Meryl Streep filmed around Lyme Regis and the TV adaptations of Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008, Gemma Arterton again) and The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003), both novels by West Dorset's literary son Thomas Hardy. The district is large and varied, offering a good choice of base, whether your taste be a coastal market town like Bridport, the historic county town of Dorchester or a picture-book inland village like Cerne Abbas. What will it cost? Average: £252,272. Detached £329,731; semi £237,378; terrace: £202,696; flat £153,965. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,604. Beauty spots: Lyme Regis promenade, Golden Cap, Bulbarrow Hill. Culture/leisure fix: Dorset County Museum, Sherbourne Abbey, Castle and Almshouses, Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, Thomas Hardy's house Max Gate in Dorchester. Health Hospitals: Dorset County , Dorchester - 5 out of 5; Yeatman Community Hospital, Sherborne (not inspected yet by CQC); Axminster (not inspected yet by CQC); Bridport Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.4.
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Getting around: Not great. No motorways. Main roads in/out A31 and A35. Main station: Dorchester South – two hours 36 minutes to London Waterloo. 7 Torridge Where is it? Named after the River Torridge, it is in North East Devon, bordering Cornwall to the south, and is administered from Bideford. Main towns and villages include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!, The island of Lundy is administratively part of the district. Annual rainfall: Relatively high at 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 65,800 (170 per sq mile). Crime rate: 195.41, ranked 12th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.05%. Why here? Phrases like "untouched by time", "time has stood still" leap from the tourist literature. The traffic-free village of Clovelly, for example, home of the Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley, is famed for its single cobbled high street winding through 16th-century, whitewashed cottages to a small harbour. The ancient Port Town of Holsworthy runs one of the largest livestock markets in the country and lies in the heart of "Ruby Country", a "designated area of tranquillity", where a new initiative provides walking, cycling and horse-riding trails on themes such as culture, heritage and food and drink. Look for the thriving Torridge branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) for retired people, which centres on Bideford, with over 450 members and 40-plus interest groups. What will it cost? Average: £193,557. Detached: £255,965; semi: £173,435; terrace: £151,927; flat: £106,033. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,532. Health Hospitals: Bideford Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Holsworthy Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC); Torrington Community Hospital (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 78.4. Beauty spots: Lundy Island, Hartland Peninsula, Northam Burrows Country Park, 253 hectares of grassy coastal plain with salt marsh, sand dunes and the Pebble Ridge. Culture/leisure fix: Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford, the Plough Arts Centre in Torrington. Royal Horticultural Society's Rosemoor Gardens, Great Torrington. Getting around: Dreadful. No motorways. Main roads in/out A39 and A377. No mainline stations in Torridge – drive for an hour to Exeter or Tiverton and train takes two-three hours to London. 8 Eden
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Where is it? Appropriately named Eden is in Cumbria, includes part of the Lake District National Park and has its council in Penrith. It includes the market towns of Appleby-inWestmoreland and Kirkby Stephen. Annual rain fall: High at 1331.9 mls (52.4 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1307.9. Population:51,800 (63 per sq mile). Crime rate: 196.14, ranked 13th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.40%. Why here? The name says it all. If it is peace and being in touch with nature that you crave most, here's the place that's so rich in rural variety, it could give you idyll indigestion. You've got the mountains and lakes of Ullswater, the rolling countryside of the Eden Valley and the moorlands of Alston and the North Pennines. With only 63 people per square mile, it also has the lowest population density of any of England's 324 local government districts. Base yourself in the market town of Penrith, known as the "old red town" because of its sandstone buildings, and you've got easy access to the surrounding countryside plus great road and rail links to Scotland, England and across the Pennines. What will it cost? A bargain. Average: £184,800. Detached: £242,458; semi: £170,891; terrace: £157,646; flat: £117,184. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,559. Health Hospitals: Voreda, Penrith - 5 out of 5; Penrith (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 78.2. Beauty spots: Ullswater, Lowther Castle and Country Gardens. Culture/leisure fix: Ullswater Steamers, South Tynedale Railway, Upfront gallery and puppet theatre. Getting around: M6, A6 and A66. Main rail stations at Penrith and Appleby. 3.5 hours to London direct from Penrith. 9 South Hams Where is it? On the south coast of Devon. Headquarters are in Totnes, South Hams. To the north it includes part of Dartmoor National Park, to the east borders Torbay, and to the west Plymouth. Contains Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe, the largest of which is Ivybridge. Annual rainfall: 1214.8 mls (47.8 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1529.9. Population: 83,700 (240 per sq mile).
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Crime rate: 182.40, ranked 5th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 92.04%. Why here? Perfect for sea lovers, anglers, wild swimmers and sailors. The unspoilt coastline of South Hams includes Start Point and Bolt Head. The entire coastline, along with the lower Avon and Dart valleys, forms most of the South Devon area of outstanding natural beauty. Take your pick from 25 varied beaches in South Hams; huge sweeps of flat golden sand at Bigbury or Thurlstone, a sheltered cove like Hallsands, spectacular Slapton Sands backed by a freshwater lagoon, the wooded suntrap of Blackpool Sands with extensive facilities or perhaps Wembury with its excellent marine interpretation centre and rockpool rambles. Totnes, said to have more listed buildings per head than any other English town, is a thriving centre for music, art, theatre and natural health and is known for its sizeable "New Age" community. Retirees can let out the bohemian they perhaps kept under wraps during their working lives. What will it cost? Pricier than most. Average: £286,271. Detached: £395,275; semi: £244,885; terrace: £216,197; flat: £259,190. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,530. Health Hospitals: Totnes (not inspected yet by CQC); Dartmouth (not inspected yet by CQC); Torbay - 5 out of 5; Mount Gould, Plymouth - 5 out of 5. Life expectancy: 79. Beauty spots: Blue Flag beaches Bigbury on Sea, Challaborogh and Blackpool Sands. Culture/leisure fix: Dartington Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Natural World. Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth. Totnes Elizabethan House Museum. Sharpham Vineyard and Cheese Dairy. Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel reached by sea tractor when the tide is in. Getting around: No motorways. Main roads in/out are A38, A385, A 381. Main rail stations at Totnes and Ivybridge –three-four hours to London. 10 Derbyshire Dales Where is it? A long area bordering Sheffield in the north, and Derby in the south, about half of the district is in the Peak District National Park. With its district offices in Matlock, most of its population lies along the River Derwent with settlements including Bakewell, Ashbourne, Winster, Hartington, Wirksworth and Eyam. Annual rainfall: Surprisingly low at 920.2 mls (36.2 ins). Sunshine hours per year: 1343.4. Population: 70,400 (230 per sq mile). Crime rate: 229.10, ranked 28th. Percentage who think "neighbours look out for each other": 91.63%.
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Why here? Undulating, beautiful landscape – the ultimate gentle, walking country – dotted with picturesque villages and towns with a variety of characters. Bakewell, the market town for the Peak District National Park, has old stone buildings, a medieval bridge over the river Wye, and lots of individual shops, speciality food outlets, good places to eat and, of course, Bakewell tarts. Ashbourne offers Georgian streets, cobbled yards and antique shops, while Matlock was developed as a Victorian Spa. Perfect for outdoor-lovers is the new Monsal Trail, running around 20km from Bakewell to Buxton along an old railway line, and following the path of the River Wye, which has been newly refurbished to offer spectacular scenery and access for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. What will it cost? Average: £234,090. Detached: £318,523; semi: £206,182; terrace: £182,832; flat: £151,088. Band D council tax 2012-13: £1,539. Health Hospitals: Whitworth (not inspected yet by CQC); Newholme (not inspected yet by CQC). Life expectancy: 79.3. Beauty spots: Dovedale. Lathkill Dale. Stanage, the largest of the gritstone edges, north of Hathersage. Culture/leisure fix: Ashbourne Festival. The Heights Of Abraham caverns, cable car and more near Matlock Bath. Getting around: Lots of tourist traffic. M1 skirts the district with access via A6 and A50. Main rail stations Matlock, Matlock Bath and just outside the district is Chesterfield and Derby – around 90 minutes to London, St Pancras.
• Statistics on rainfall and sunshine hours by county supplied by the Met Office, and can be compared with the UK average annual rainfall of 1,126.1 mls (44.3 ins) and 1,354.9 average hours of sunshine per year. Scores for the major hospitals in, or nearest to, each of the retirement areas, are based on assessments by the Care Quality Commission, which inspects hospitals in England to see that they meet government standards of quality and safety. Five measures are used and the results are published on the CQC's website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jul/27/top-10-places-to-retire
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