Essex is the Ideal Location for a Comfortable Retirement
Essex is not all stiletto heels and souped up hot hatches. The county is also one of the most popular retirement spots for pensioners.
If your only exposure to Essex has been from the jaundiced perspective of the TV screen, you might be surprised to learn that is it one of the most popular places for pensioners to spend their retirement.
Essex has a fabulous infrastructure in all the everyday aspects that matter most in retirement. Public transport links are reliable and NHS and social community care are second to none.
The county also presents some great investment opportunities, with property prices among the most buoyant of any across the country. This means that there are numerous possibilities for those with a double income pension who are looking to unlock pensions and reinvest some of their funds in another way to realise greater yields.
So for those who think the only way is Essex, here are three locations around the county that are as far from the counties stereotype as it is possible to get.
Frinton on Sea
It almost feels like we are cheating to include Frinton as part of Essex – not that it is located outside the county, but just because it feels like a place that stands in its own little county, country and indeed world.
When Sir Richard Powell Cooper created this designer seaside town in the late 19th century, it was against some strict rules. No pubs, no seaside amusements and most definitely no shorts at the golf club! The rules have stuck, and Frinton has established a reputation as the place to be for those retirees who like an atmosphere of gentility and the traditional British stiff upper lip.
Anyone who enjoys the occasional pint will be pleased to hear that the “no pubs” rule was finally overturned in 2000, when the Lock and Barrel opened on Connaught Avenue. The nearby Café 19 is also a nice place to while away some hours during the day.
Romford
There was a time 30 or 40 years ago when Romford was the sort of place people could not wait to escape from. This town on the border of Essex and Metropolitan London has seen its share of crime and poverty over the years.
However, since the millennium, millions of pounds of investment have been ploughed into the town, making it the perfect choice for Londoners who want to escape the city, but not leave it too far behind.
There are plenty of shopping opportunities right on your doorstep. Romford is famous for its historic market and modern shopping centres, which combine to make it the fourth largest retail centre in London. All this in a thriving local community with numerous sports and leisure facilities.
Saffron Walden
At the opposite corner of Essex lies the town of Saffron Walden, and while it could not be any more different to Frinton and Romford, it is another location that is hugely popular among the retired.
The town is close to the borders with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and has far more of a countryside feel. This is the place to come if you want a retirement full of cream teas, farm shops and neighbouring villages with improbable-sounding names like Steeple Bumpstead and Maggots End.
All of which proves that regardless of tastes, Essex is the perfect retirement county for everyone!