Best place to live in the uk ?

I live in a North Devon village which is beautiful, quiet and nature rich, near countryside and beachees. BUT as you age, there are fewer local shops and GP services than a city or large town.This is worth considering. Also, there is a well-publicised issue with poor water quality on the beaches. As well as looking at 'beautiful', 'friendly' etc, it's worth checking other factors:

• what services are there, if any of your family get ill
• are dental services available if you are an NHS patient
• is the area liable to flooding, landslip 
• if you garden, is the climate / soil suitable for what you plan to do
• check the crime status
• neighbours might be 'friendly' but are the people living there likely to move

I don't want to put a damper on your plans but these are things I check out - I'm looking to move on a social housing exchange system. I also look on those survey carried out by national newspapers on nice areas to live.

This is really helpful - thank you. I was once looking at Hebden Bridge and then remembered all the flooding they have had there - definitely not able to deal with the stress of that situation! Finding an NHS dentist is likely to be a problem in most places I imagine, we have one where we live now and I’m hoping to keep using them if we can. They contact us by email so I’m hoping they won’t pick on the fact that we don’t live nearby anymore. Being able to access nature is very high on our priority list. My son really wants to move and as he’s a young adult his needs are highest on our list - as it’s his future. Myself and my husband would probably choose somewhere quite remote - but I want my son to be able to make some progress with making some friends (and maybe find a partner) - as that would be wonderful. It’s hard to find the balance between being immersed in nature but also have people around too. Were thinking maybe living on the edge of a small town maybe. 

This is really helpful - thank you. I was once looking at Hebden Bridge and then remembered all the flooding they have had there - definitely not able to deal with the stress of that situation! Finding an NHS dentist is likely to be a problem in most places I imagine, we have one where we live now and I’m hoping to keep using them if we can. They contact us by email so I’m hoping they won’t pick on the fact that we don’t live nearby anymore. Being able to access nature is very high on our priority list. My son really wants to move and as he’s a young adult his needs are highest on our list - as it’s his future. Myself and my husband would probably choose somewhere quite remote - but I want my son to be able to make some progress with making some friends (and maybe find a partner) - as that would be wonderful. It’s hard to find the balance between being immersed in nature but also have people around too. Were thinking maybe living on the edge of a small town maybe. 

Kate Kestrel said:

maybe living on the edge of a small town maybe. 

I was considering this too - the nearness of shops and services but without the high crime, bustle and noise.

Definitely check out the government flood maps, Hebden and that area would be a total non starter for me on that basis. But so many areas are high flood risk now, one serious consequence is rising insurance costs for property, this impacts house prices and eventually properties become uninsurable and consequently unsellable as no bank or b.soc will lend on them 

These might also be helpful:

UK Health Security Agency - UK maps of radon

GOV.UK - Long-term flood risk