A small city with just over 130,000 inhabitants has been praised for its beauty and shops – and it’s been crowned the best place to retire in the country. While the UK offers endless locations to choose from, the historic city has been described as brilliant for pensioners as it boasts the perfect combination of accessibility, natural beauty and a wealth of activities hailed by locals and visitors alike.<\/p>\n
Exeter, in the south west of England, was awarded the accolade by the Telegraph<\/a> due to its incredible local scenery, including the nearby South Devon coastline, Dartmoor and the River Exe, as well as easy access to good quality healthcare and public transport.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, older people [move] down because [if] they\u2019re near the city centre, there\u2019s good access to restaurants and also a lot of them love being around the cathedral,” Duncan Medlock, managing director of the estate agent Cooksley\u2019s, told the Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s a hub of activity around the cathedral, there are some really nice tours and the underground caves.\u201d<\/p>\n Though a small city, Exeter has a spectacular cathedral. Described as the city’s “beating heart”, the building was completed in 1400. Its green is home to the Christmas market comes winter.<\/p>\n The looming arches of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and stunning Tudor frontage of the Old Centre are also firm favourites of both residents and tourists.<\/p>\n Its city centre is also great for shopping and attracts people from across Devon and even Cornwall. It boasts popular chains, but also thriving independent cafes and restaurants.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot going on around Exeter. A lot of [retirees] are downsizing. Quite a lot are moving from London to be near family and for a different way of life,\u201d Duncan added.<\/p>\n Some of the best shops in the city include independent lifestyle store Moko, eco-friendly homeware shop No Guts No Glory and the quirky gift shop Hyde and Seek. Shoppers can also enjoy big chains such as IKEA, John Lewis, River Island, Next, Zara, H&M and more.<\/p>\n Research from retirement company Regency Living in June this year revealed the south west is the downsizing capital of the UK, with 43% of people aged 50 or over downsizing compared to the national average of 38%.<\/p>\n Naomi Ryan, owner of Naomi J. Ryan, an independent estate agent a stone\u2019s throw from Exeter Cathedral, was raised in the city as a child but later moved to the countryside. She said Exeter\u2019s accessibility is a highlight for retirees.<\/p>\n \u201cTopsham Road is one of the main roads coming into the city so there\u2019s regular bus routes or if you are active from the Buckerell site and Adlington [retirement homes] you are able to walk,\u201d she told the\u00a0Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cExeter offers so much and is close to both the coast and moors\u2026 the city centre offers an abundance of shops and restaurants, the cathedral, museums and green space. [There\u2019s] always lots going on,\u201d Naomi added.<\/p>\n Exeter has nine railway stations within its city council district, but also its own airport – and is an hour and a half from Bristol Airport.<\/p>\n “You are lucky to have everything on your doorstep, and the best bit about Exeter is the M5, meaning you can get to Somerset quickly for a day out,” a resident wrote on Reddit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another added: “I used to think it was slow, boring and generally not nice. This is until I moved around and experienced other areas in the UK. It is a lovely place to live with so much on your doorstep. It’s more diverse than it had been in the previous decades.”<\/p>\n House prices in the city are not cheap, however. Property website Rightmove reports that the average property price in Exeter was \u00a3329,969 over the last year – with an average price of \u00a3295,129 for terraced houses and \u00a3482,437 for detached houses.<\/p>\n