Retire to Waltham Abbey

Retirement living in Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey is a vibrant market town with a historic twist and plentiful amenities. 16th century timber-framed buildings stand alongside the Art Nouveau town hall, creating an eclectic backdrop for your retirement.
Local seniors enjoy:
- Amenities like supermarkets, long-historied pubs, healthcare, restaurants and cafes, as well as a post office, library and a leisure centre with pool.
- Events throughout the year, like the Waltham Abbey Town Show, King Harold Day Festival, and Festival of Water all celebrating the town’s unique history.
- A thriving small town community with many retiree-friendly activities, especially within the local U3A, the community centre and those run by Age UK.
- Access to history and countryside - with its eponymous abbey and gardens and Epping Forest nearby.
Retirement developments in Waltham Abbey
Explore retirement property for sale or rent in Waltham Abbey, and find your ideal home for senior living.
Senior living in Waltham Abbey
This vibrant harbour town is an ideal spot for retirees offering the ideal mix of convenient amenities, lively community and plenty of things to do.

Amenities in Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey has plenty of amenities to suit your day-to-day needs including a post office, vet services, and a variety of cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes.
- Groceries - The town centre has a Tesco Superstore, Sainsburys, and smaller chains like the Mann Brothers Supermarket, which also offers delivery.
- Shops - The high street is packed with independent shops and boutiques while you’ll find larger chains on the outskirts at Highbridge Retail Park.
- Healthcare - The nearest hospital with an A&E department is Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, a 20-minute drive away. Waltham Abbey itself is well-equipped to take care of your day-to-day healthcare, with several GP surgeries like Market Square Surgery, as well as several pharmacies, dentists and opticians.

Things for retirees to do in Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey has plenty of events and activities for you to enjoy year-round. Here are some of the highlights:
- Historic attractions like the unique Augustinian Abbey and its tranquil gardens. If you walk just a little further, you’ll enter Cornmill Meadows, a unique habitat that is home to a thriving variety of dragonflies and damselflies.
- Clubs and societies, for example Waltham Abbey U3A includes 30+ groups catering to different interests like gardening, sewing, board games, and dancing.
- Golf at the nearby West Essex Golf Club, where visitors can enjoy the scenery of Epping Forest while playing on the putting green.
- Sports and fitness with options like Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre - which has a gym, classes and a pool or Larsons Bowls Club.

Explore the surrounding areas
Bordering the Lee Valley Country Park, with Epping Forest on its doorstep, Waltham Abbey is perfectly placed to enjoy the great outdoors - and the capital too.
- The River Lee Country Park stretches over 1000 acres and is perfect for walkers, cyclists and wildlife watchers alike.
- Epping Forest is made up of an even larger area of woodlands, grasslands and other habitats, interspersed with historic villages and country pubs, including the world’s oldest wooden church.
- Epping Forest District Museum houses a collection of over 50,000 objects, from art to archaeological artefacts, telling the story of the Epping Forest district.
- Waltham Abbey is in an excellent location for day trips to London where you can enjoy world class culture, museums and arts.

Transport and connections
The town is fairly walkable, and our retirement homes in Waltham Abbey are close to excellent transport links too.
- By car - the M25 runs through the town, providing fast routes to London and Chelmsford, as well as smaller settlements like Epping and Harlow.
- By bus - buses regularly run to nearby towns like Waltham Cross and Hertford. Concessionary Bus Passes are available for retirees throughout Essex.
- By rail - Waltham Cross train station (9 miles away) will get you to London in just 30 minutes and Cheshunt in 2 minutes.
- By air - The nearest airport is London City Airport which is 13 miles away. Other options include Stansted (18 miles), Luton (21miles) and Heathrow (25 miles).
Popular places to retire in and nearby Chelmsford
Explore more brilliant retirement locations close to Chelmsford.
Browse by Retirement Living services
Our retirement developments offer differing amenities and assisted living services. Choose from two options to find your perfect fit.
McCarthy Stone community news from Essex
Retirement living in Waltham Abbey FAQs
Browse our retirement homes by city and county
Search for the best places to retire in the UK by selecting a city or county to explore.