Retirement homes for sale in Surrey

Miles of beautiful countryside to explore on foot or by bike

With miles of rolling hills, woodland, pretty waterways, picturesque villages and elegant towns, it’s no wonder that Surrey is considered one of the most desirable places to live in the country.

The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a specially protected landscape, stretches across the country, extending from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the east and passing close to Guildford, Dorking and Reigate. If you’re keen on walking or cycling, one of the best ways to explore the county is to follow the Downs Link which crosses the Surrey Hills, the Low Weald, the South Downs and the Coastal Plain. In Surrey, it links the North Downs Way at St Martha’s Hill with the South Downs Way near Steyning in West Sussex.

A wealth of extraordinary historic homes and glorious gardens

One of the most impressive of Surrey’s historic properties must be Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, home of Henry VIII with over 60 acres of riverside gardens.  Also set in a riverside location is the 17^th century Ham House, in Ham, just south of Richmond-upon-Thames. 

In Cobham, Painshill’s 160-acre parkland, created in the 18^th century has incredibly beautiful, landscaped gardens with lakes, grottoes and follies.Hatchlands Park at Clandon is another splendid National Trust property housing the world’s largest collection of composer related keyboards as well as artworks and musical instruments from a variety of eras.

Polesden Lacey, near Great Bookham, provides a fascinating insight into the 1900s whilst the beautifully landscaped grounds provide measured walks and stunning scenery. The RHS Garden, Wisley is not-to-be-missed, described as one of the world’s great gardens and the historic home of the Royal Horticultural Society.  It’s not just about gardens at RHS Wisley, though as there’s a programme of events, talks, courses and workshops.

A rich sense of culture, sports and entertainment

As you’d expect, Surrey has plenty of local art, cinema and theatre venues, museums and galleries. In Reigate, the Grade I listed Priory Park Museum is set within 65 acres of parkland which hosts changing exhibition of local and social history.

In addition to cinemas, Guildford is home to G-Live, The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, the Mill Studio and the Electric Theatre. Kingston-upon-Thames has an enticing collection of bars and restaurants as well as theatre and cinema. During the summer, there’s nothing nicer than relaxing in one of Richmond’s riverside restaurants or watching a performance at one of the town’s three theatres. Dorking, overlooking the Surrey Hills, is home to Dorking Halls where the art deco theatre provides comedy, live music and cinema screenings.

Sporting activities for all

Whether you enjoy watching or participating in sport, Surrey has something to offer from horse-racing at Sandown, Epsom Downs, Lingfield Park or Epsom Park to the water sports found at Mercers Park near Redhill. 

Many lakes and rivers in Surrey are stocked with coarse fish and the River Thames and its tributaries offer free fishing opportunities for anglers. Surrey is the premier county in England for golf with more courses in the Top 100 than any other counties and more than 100 clubs attached to Surrey Golf. Sunningdale Golf Club, St George’s Golf Club, Walton Heath Golf Club and Wentworth top the list but there are excellent clubs in and around most of Surrey’s town. 

For those who prefer indoor sports, Guildford has two spectacular centres, the Surrey Sports Park and Guildford Spectrum, both of which provide pool complexes, gyms and fitness classes and the latter has its own indoor ice rink.

Plenty of opportunities for retail therapy

All across Surrey, pretty villages and vibrant towns provide unique shopping experiences. For a full day of retail therapy, head to the indoor shopping centres of towns like Kingston-upon-Thames, Camberley and Woking or explore the stylish retail outlets in Weybridge, Richmond, Guildford and Reigate. In Reigate, named as one of the best towns to live in 2023 by the Sunday Times, there’s a particularly impressive range of independent shops and boutiques, including up and coming designers and top brand names.

Why retire to Surrey? 

Surrey is a wonderful place to spend your retirement years. You’re close enough to London for a day’s shopping or a trip to the theatre possible whilst being surrounded by glorious countryside, woodland, historic towns, picturesque villages and magnificent stately homes. Countless festivals take place every year from traditional village fetes to world-famous sporting events such as The Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse. There is every type of music from classical to rock concerts, open air theatre and food festivals and the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower show – an event not to be missed. 

The Best Connections

The county’s excellent transport links mean that living in Surrey has been described as ‘having one foot in London and the other in the country.’ 

The northernmost areas of Surrey, within the M25, are suburbs of the capital whilst its more southerly reaches offer pockets of seclusion. Regardless of the area of Surrey, there are good rail or road connections.  Many Surrey towns are on the mainline links to London Waterloo and London Victoria stations. The A3 and A24 run through the county as does the M25 which links with the entire motorway network. The A3 London-Portsmouth Road makes it easy to drive to the South Coast as well as to London.