The salt-laden air that comes with coastal living also has practical effects. It can accelerate wear on metalwork, paintwork and some plants, which is why gardens near the coast tend to favour salt-tolerant species, and why homes in exposed spots often need slightly more attention to maintenance than those further inland.

Norfolk covers a lot of ground, both literally and in terms of what it offers someone thinking about a later-life move. From the wide skies of the Broads to the long sandy coastline in the north, the county has a reputation for space, and for a pace of life that suits people who want fewer demands on their time.

The rise of affordable overseas package holidays from the 1960s onwards hit many English seaside towns hard, and a good number went through decades of decline as visitor numbers fell. Some never fully recovered, but many others have seen a genuine revival in recent years, helped by renewed interest in UK holidays, careful restoration of historic buildings, and a new generation of independent businesses moving into once-empty seafront properties.

Further north, Louth and Horncastle each retain their own character. Louth sits at the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, an area of gently rolling hills that is easy to underestimate until you have walked it, with good local shops and a long-standing market tradition. Horncastle has built a reputation around its antiques trade, alongside the everyday services expected of a working market town.

Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze sit close together on the Tendring peninsula, each with a distinct character. Frinton has kept a quiet, understated feel with a long stretch of clean beach and a compact town centre, while Walton offers a working pier and a slightly livelier promenade. Both towns are well served by rail links back into London, which matters for anyone who wants a calmer setting without cutting ties to family elsewhere.

The interwar years brought a further wave of growth, with promenades, bandstands and lidos added to many towns as annual holidays became more widely available to working families. This period is when much of the seafront architecture still visible today, art deco cinemas, grand twelve-month residential parks hotels and long terraces of guesthouses, was built.