‘Best place to retire near London’ named as beautiful commuter market town

The city is persistently rated probably the greatest locations to reside within the nation, and has now been named the very best close to London to spend your golden years

A city simply over an hour from London has been topped the very best place to retire close to London – and is usually rated as probably the greatest locations to reside within the UK.

Charity Taking Care has put collectively an inventory of spots throughout the nation, giving them a rating based mostly on their retirement credentials, and placing collectively a prime 10.

The classes are common life expectancy, share of the inhabitants over 65, common home value, common annual care house price, ratio of care houses to over 65s, life-style rating, variety of inexperienced areas, variety of bingo halls, variety of English Heritage properties, variety of fish and chip outlets and Instagram hashtags.

Saffron Walden, a really posh market city with some relatively lovely structure, got here out with a rating of 48.7, incomes it fifth place on the record. The common house is across the £407,000 mark, in line with Taking Care, significantly lower than London’s. The one different one close to London is Hampshire’s Alresford, in tenth place.

Saffron Walden boasts a very posh title, which has cemented its (well-deserved) standing as one of many UK’s most prosperous cities yr after yr. With its charming array of picture-postcard cottages, pleasant little impartial outlets and upmarket boutiques, and scenic crumbling fortress, it is simple to grasp the way it earned its standing.

Saffron Walden was initially identified merely as ‘Walden’ – earlier than adopting its second title from the saffron crocus (cultivated broadly within the area throughout the 1500s), and was ultimately formally designated as ‘The Saffron Walden’ by Henry VIII in 1514. The city was declared the “greatest place to reside within the East 2023” in The Sunday Instances’ esteemed rankings.

The publication suggests Saffron Walden is disposing of its earlier picture of showing “somewhat boring” resulting from its exclusivity, and embracing a “new breed of Saffronites.”

The brand new residents are predominantly arriving from areas of North East London like Walthamstow, and introducing new impartial enterprises with them – from artisan beer outlets to indie espresso outlets and bakeries. Whereas it might appear relatively posh, younger London households in quest of a commutable city have reported feeling “at house actually rapidly” in Saffron Walden, a city famend for its top-rated colleges.

The city affords no scarcity of leisure, boasting a vibrant market each Saturday within the city’s market sq., a thriving cafe tradition, and the bustling Railway Arms pub.

Regardless of its charmingly rural really feel, Saffron Walden is well-connected. From Audley Finish, the closest railway station positioned within the neighbouring village of Wendens Ambo, you possibly can catch a practice to Cambridge in simply 17 minutes, or to London Liverpool Avenue in 55 minutes.

Plus, Stansted Airport is just a half-hour drive away.

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