Plan ahead: here are the 12 best UK locations to retire to

We’ve all fantasised about what post-work life might look like. Will you move to the coast? Join the local bowls club? Develop a sudden passion for golf? Follow thousands of other pensioners to Spain? 

Before you pooh pooh the UK completely and make the move overseas, take some time to consider Which?'s latest ranking of best places in the country to retire to. 

The consumer group conducted a survey of 1,192 people at or close to retirement,asking what was most important to them, and then scored places based on the categories that came up top. The final scores factored in healthcare, happiness, parks and playing fields, crime rates and house price affordability. 

After all that, twelve areas across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were identified as having the most to offer retirees in each of the UK’s 12 regions. A best overall place wasn’t declared as Which? pointed out that the scores for England are not directly comparable with the other regions. 

That said, Mid and East Antrim in Northern Ireland was the only place featured to score a perfect ten out of ten for healthcare. The Outer Hebrides were Scotland’s winner and scored the highest in the happiness category with eight out of ten. 

Wrexham (whose footie team is enjoying newfound Hollywood fame) was revealed as the best place to retire in Wales while Merton was the best borough in London to spend retirement, Stockport won in the north west of England and Exeter came up trumps for the south west. 

Here’s the full list of the 12 best places to retire to in the UK, according to Which?: 

East Midlands: High Peak

East of England: Broxbourne

London: Merton

North East: South Tyneside

North West: Stockport

South East: Elmbridge

South West: Exeter

West Midlands: Newcastle-under-Lyme

Yorkshire and the Humber: Kirklees

Northern Ireland: Mid and East Antrim

Scotland: Outer Hebrides

Wales: Wrexham 

Did you see that these 55 'overlooked' UK towns are each getting a £20m glow-up?