Best places to retire: The top 10 UK towns for retirement ranked | Personal Finance | Finance
Retirement is an event millions will be looking forward to, as they decide to leave the workforce for a new life. However, not everyone will want to remain living where they are, as retirement can open up new adventures and pursuits.
Those looking for a change of scenery will no doubt want to know which locations are likely to support the kind of life they are hoping for.
London-based estate agents Douglas and Gordon have pulled together the top UK towns considered perfect for retiring.
The organisation looked at key factors such as house and rent prices, as well as restaurants, parks and golf courses to come up with a definitive top 10.
Twickenham takes the crown for the best place for older people to retire throughout the whole of the UK.
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Richmond Park, which is open for all to use, is perhaps the most well-known landmark of the South-West London town, but there are also many protected conservation areas and 350 parks in total.
The town does have the highest average house and rent prices on the list, so retirees will have to bear this in mind.
Nevertheless, Richmond remains a popular option, with a variety of restaurants and shops to choose from.
In third place is Bromley, the largest London borough, and fairly close to the heart of the city.
Bromley straddles south-east London and Kent, meaning retirees can have the best of both worlds.
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Older people can travel into the city in as little as 20 minutes, but can also escape further into the Kent countryside if they so wish.
Bromley is home to some 336 restaurants, 128 parks, and three golf courses, with a wide range of leisure activities for older people.
While house prices and rent costs are not as high as in the first two towns, they are still considerably steep.
Sutton follows closely behind, and on the outskirts of London, it too can offer a mix of country and city life with 90 parks and two golf courses to enjoy.
The same goes for the fifth place town of Beckenham, a close neighbour to the third-place Bromley.
With a village feel, Beckenham has a total of 86 restaurants, 185 parks, and two golf courses.
Those looking for a change in scenery in later life may also wish to discover the remaining towns which occupy the top 10 list for retirees.
These are:
Lymington – a port town in Hampshire with 72 restaurants, 52 parks and two golf courses.
Llandudno – a seaside resort and town in north Wales, with 144 restaurants, 36 parks and five golf courses.
Ilfracombe – another seaside resort, this time on the North Devon coast, surrounded by cliffs. It has 71 restaurants, 45 parks and one golf course.
Glossop – a market town in Derbyshire, it has connections to Manchester and Sheffield. The town has 66 restaurants, a sprawling 151 parks and one golf course.
Tynemouth – a coastal town in North East England, offering 45 restaurants, 40 parks and one golf course.
