It’s not hard to see why Cornwall is such a popular place to retire. This is a county of sandy coves and charming fishing harbours.

Those still game can savour the surf at Newquay, Polzeath or Perranporth. While those feeling more sedate can enjoy a stroll along the rugged coastline or a spot of puffin watching.

There is plenty to distract grandchildren away from their screens all through the year. The Eden Project is home to the UK’s largest indoor rainforest and home to thousands of plant species. The many mining museums are also popular with younger visitors.

Tourism has boomed in recent years and increased congestion on often narrow roads in July and August and Cornwall’s remote location can also bring disadvantages – especially to those in later years. But we think these are small prices to pay.

Land-locked Shropshire can’t compete with Cornwall’s coast. But this is a place with breathtaking scenery of its own.

The county’s bucolic highlights include the limestone escarpment of Wenlock Edge, The Stiperstones hill made from quartzite rock and the civil parish of Grinshill.

Shropshire also prides itself as the “birthplace of the industrial revolution”. There are hundreds of miles of canals and other relics of Britain’s manufacturing pomp to explore.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the crossing over the River Severn at Ironbridge are both World Heritage Sites.

The county also has some 32 castles, with those at Ludlow, Stokesay and Clun considered perhaps the finest.

Shropshire is also less remote than many retirement destinations. Most of the county is within an hour of Birmingham. Manchester and Liverpool are within two hours.

Asking prices for houses are noticeably lower than in Cornwall, Wiltshire and others featured in this article.

Men live longer in East Devon than in any other of our Top 10 retirement destinations. Maybe the warmer climate and bracing walks along the undulating Jurassic Coast partly explain why.

The 95-mile stretch of coastline is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The coastal towns of Sidmouth, Seaton and Budleigh Salterton can creak with tourists in high summer.

Away from the sea there are picturesque towns including Honiton, Ottery St Mary and Axminster. Some retirees will hanker for a picture postcard Devon village, although these can leave residents isolated in later years.

Exmouth is the largest town in the district, but Exeter – with a busy cultural scene and extensive shopping – is within an hour’s drive of almost everywhere in this part of the county.

King George V’s dying words did not flatter Bognor. The seaside resort and its neighbour Littlehampton are the two largest towns in this part of West Sussex.

Nearby Arundel offers independent shops and an imposing, elegant castle. There are more retail options and a livelier cultural scene in Chichester. Brighton and Portsmouth are reachable within an hour.

To the north of the area lies the South Downs National Park, a haven for wildlife and a scenic playground for walkers and cyclists.

Thatched cottages pepper the villages and quiet country lanes in this part of the district. Littlehampton and Bognor are both around a 1 hour 45 minute commute to London, perhaps suiting the semi-retired who crave sea air and still need to get up to London occasionally.

The district of Tendring includes the coastal towns of Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Brightlingsea, Clacton-on-Sea and Harwich. All five offer sandy beaches and are within around an hour of the M25.

This part of Essex is rich with nautical history and the port of Harwich has a museum dedicated to this history of Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers to America in 1620.

This part of Essex is also popular with wildlife enthusiasts, with the John Weston Nature Reserve near Walton-on-the-Naze a paradise for bird watchers.

Essex’s county town Colchester is no more than 40 minutes away. And with Clacton-on-Sea less than 90 minutes from London by train, this part of Essex provides another option for the semi-retired to taste some sea air while still being able to quickly dart into the capital if needed.

This is the retirement hotspot with the highest property prices of any in our Top 10. Wiltshire offers plenty of history and great walking.

Stonehenge may be the best known of the county’s landmarks. But there are many others, including the standing stones at Avebury, Salisbury’s 13th century cathedral and the many chalk horses carved into the hillsides.

Swindon is the largest town, but those eyeing retirement may prefer the market towns of Chippenham, Devises or Marlborough.

Salisbury has a thriving arts scene, including a literary festival. Stourhead and Bowood House are two of many stately homes with sumptuous gardens. Grandchildren may plead to visit Longleat’s safari park instead.

Wiltshire may lack the coastline of Devon or Dorset, but it is closer to Bristol and London. Malmesbury, Bath and Winchester make for easy day trips.

This East Sussex coastal district takes its name from the river that runs through it to the sea at Rye Bay.

The nearby historic town of Rye, with its cobbled streets and Tudor buildings, is the area’s cultural hub and has many independent shops.

Nearby Camber Sands is one of the region’s most highly rated beaches, stretching for almost five miles.

The larger coastal towns of Bexhill and Hastings offer a more busy seaside experience. The latter’s rebuilt pier won the RIBA Stirling prize in 2017.

Away from the coast there are charming towns such as Robertsbridge, Burwash and Northiam.

Those moving to the area might find the shopping options of even these larger towns limiting, but the Rother is within two of hours of London by train or car.

The area has the second highest happiness rating of our top 10 and it’s not too hard to see why.

Hadrian’s Wall and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne are just a few of Northumberland’s attractions.

The Kielder Water and Forest Park includes the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe as well as the biggest planted forest in England, with 150 million trees.

This gigantic park has become increasingly popular with walkers and cyclists. Alnwick Castle, famed for its award-winning garden, served as Hogwarts in the early Harry Potter films.

But the unspoilt coastline will be the biggest draw to many retirees. Many of the beaches are quiet, with the Farne Islands one of many places to delight birdwatchers.

Rural roads can make Northumberland feel remote and the North Sea often makes for grim winters. Locals sometimes complain that “second homers” from Newcastle have driven up property prices.

Yorkshire’s East Riding has the most affordable houses of anywhere in our Top 10.

The area’s coastal towns include Hornsea, Withernsea and Bridlington. The latter – known as “Brid" to locals – offers museums, the Flamborough Head lighthouse and the Georgian stately home Sewerby Hall.

The nature reserve Bempton Cliffs is popular with birdwatchers, providing an opportunity to see puffins, guillemots and rarer species.

Scarborough, Hull and the picture postcard harbour at Whitby are all within easy reach. Hull, city of culture in 2017, continues to have plenty to keep visitors of all ages occupied. The larger cities of York and Leeds are a little further afield.

The North York Moors, with boundless walking opportunities, are within an hour’s drive. It may take new arrivals a year or two to get used to the nip in the east coast air or the long winters.

Lancashire’s coastal plain of Fylde encompasses the seaside towns of Blackpool, Fleetwood and Lytham Sr Annes. Morecambe Bay is close and the majesty of the Lake District less than an hour’s drive.

Manchester and Liverpool’s shopping meccas are both within 80 minutes by road, although Preston is the closest large town.

House prices in the south of the Fylde were the second lowest of any of our Top 10 retirement hot spots. This area also had the highest happiness figures.

Blackpool offers plenty more to occupy grandchildren than sand, donkey rides and the158-metre tower.

A Madame Tussauds opened back in 2011 and Stanley Park has 390 acres of gardens, with fountains, statues and a model village.

With a long history as a spa town, Harrogate is these days known for its leafy Georgian avenues, elegant tearooms and ornate Turkish baths.

This upmarket Yorkshire location retains a unique feel, with impressive architecture and an array of independent shops. But it is also within easy reach of stunning countryside.

Nidderdale and the adjoining Yorkshire Dales begin within a few minutes’ drive. The North York Moors are under an hour away.

This is a landscape brimming with pretty, stone-built villages. Those craving a bigger city have Leeds and York within an hour. Sheffield is a little further afield.

The fastest trains to London arrive in a just over three hours. Understandably, it’s not just the climbs in the Dales that are steep in these parts. Property prices are too.

Until recently known as Suffolk Coastal, this part of the county includes seaside beauty spots such as Southwold, Aldeburgh, Orford, Woodbridge and Lowestoft.

Further inland the scenery is shaped by big skies and thatched cottages, mudflats and reeds.

The Aldeburgh Festival, founded by the composer Benjamin Britten in 1948, is the highlight of the local cultural calendar. This takes place at the Snape Maltings, an artistic and retailing hub.

Grandchildren can be despatched to Orford’s mysterious castle, the Woodbridge Tide Mill or Sutton Hoo - the site of a seventh century ship burial unearthed in 1939.

The nearest major town is Ipswich, although London is two and half hours by car. Life expectancy and happiness figures are high - as are the property prices.

Lewes has it all. Nestled at the foot of the South Downs, this quirky county town lies around 75 minutes from London by train and a quarter of an hour from the sea.

Independent shops are scattered along the high street and there is an array of centuries-old pubs to explore.

The ruins of a medieval priory and a castle are just part of an eventful history. London money has certainly inflated the house prices – which are higher than any other area featured.

The town has a hospital, theatre and an independent cinema. Brighton, offering plenty of shopping options and a more extensive cultural scene, is about 20 minutes away by train or car.

This part of the country boasts some of the highest life expectancy figures of any part of the UK outside London*.

With delightful countryside and pleasing place names such as Corfe Mullen, Gussage and Sixpenny Handley this is a hard place to dislike.

The largest towns in the area are Ferndown and Wimborne Minister, which hosts one of the south of England’s largest annual folk music festivals.

The New Forest National Park is a short drive away, with its many miles of heathland roamed by wild horses and ponies.

Bournemouth is easier to reach using public transport and has seven miles of beaches as well as the closest decent shopping centre.

The fastest trains from Bournemouth to London take less than two hours. The nearby airport at Hurn offers a fast getaway from English winters.

*East Dorset’s council was merged with the new county-wide local authority earlier this year.

Harrow is our joker in the pack – our only retirement possibility within a major urban area.

This affluent part of north-west London is around 10 miles from the city’s centre and has good public transport links.

A few miles to the west lies the Colne Valley Regional Park, with 27,500 acres of woods, lakes and woodland.

Motorways offer a swift exit to Oxfordshire, Berkshire and beyond. Heathrow Airport is within a 30-minute drive.

A move from the city centre to a suburb for retirement will not offer the sea, countryside or slower pace of life of many of the other destinations.

But it may prove less disruptive, allowing retirees to stay close to family and old friends. The life expectancy and happiness levels are the highest of any of our retirement hotspots.