A town in Cumbria has been named one of the most wallet-friendly places to retire to in England.
World Atlas has released a list of the cheapest towns you can retire to in England, with the seven different towns all having their own ‘personality’ depending on what lifestyle you want to have.
Many towns across the north have been included in the list, from Barnard Castle to Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
Cumbria’s very own Whitehaven made it onto the list thanks to its proximity to the sea and affordable housing.
What is Whitehaven like?
On the town, World Atlas said: “Whitehaven grew around a harbour that shipped coal out to Ireland and brought tobacco, sugar and rum back across the Atlantic, giving the town a seafaring character most retirement spots cannot match.
“More than 250 buildings here are nationally listed, many of them Georgian, dating from the era when Sir John Lowther laid the streets out on a grid.
“The typical home sold for about £164,000 over the past year, far below England's average.
“West Cumberland Hospital sits in the town itself, running a full range of NHS services on site.
“The harbour is the obvious choice for an afternoon, with two 19th-century lighthouses on the West Pier and the North Pier marking its years as a major trading port.
“Over on West Strand, the Beacon Museum covers the town's mining and maritime past, with changing exhibitions in its upper galleries.
“The Rum Story takes on a darker chapter.
“It occupies the Jefferson family's original 18th-century shop, cellars and bonded warehouses on Lowther Street, and its displays examine Whitehaven's rum trade and its ties to slavery in Antigua.
“St James' Church is worth a stop for the architecture alone.
“Nikolaus Pevsner called its Georgian interior the finest in the county.”
Houses in Whitehaven sold for an average of £185,013, with the majority of properties being semi-detached that were sold for around £172,082, according to Rightmove.
Terraced properties sold for an average of £136,431, with detached properties going for around £314,280.
Whitehaven is the perfect place to be for long walks both around the town and along the coastline.
St Bees Head is close to the town, and the cliff offers amazing views of the sea.
To get to St Bees, you can follow the seven-mile signposted trail created by the National Trust that starts from the harbour in Whitehaven.
Longlands Lake is also not far from the town, which has a surfaced path around its banks and to Dent Fell and is a great place to do some wildlife spotting.
There are lots of places to eat as well, from the charming pub The Vagabond to Anna’s Bar and Kitchen that can be found on the marina and serves cocktails, tapas, and pizza.
If you want some traditional fish and chips to enjoy while watching the sea, you can head to Fraser’s.
Do you agree that Whitehaven is a good place to retire to? Let us know in the comments.
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