What is a Retirement Village?

What is a retirement village?

Senior living in a retirement village means you’re surrounded by new friends in a sociable community and can access amenities and services within a walkable development.

Retirement villages in the UK are usually large-scale developments of up to 250 properties. Often, they’re built in quiet spots on the outskirts of town and many offer a range of on-site amenities, like a café or restaurant, health and beauty salons and sports and leisure facilities. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what a retirement village includes, as the term encompasses developments with differing levels of services and amenities.

Retirement communities or retirement developments are similar to retirement villages. The terms can refer to all types of age-exclusive properties within a managed area – you may see these advertised for people aged 55 and over, or for over 60s and 70s. The main difference to a village is size. Retirement developments may consist of a smaller number of homes with fewer amenities. They are often located closer to the heart of town and city centres, so you can easily access local services.

Whether you choose a McCarthy & Stone retirement village or development, you'll benefit from:

A secure, self-contained retirement apartment or retirement bungalow
Shared spaces and gardens that are professionally maintained
A little extra help and support available if you need it
A community of similarly retired neighbours and an active social life on your doorstep

McCarthy & Stone retirement villages and communities offer benefits such as:

Friendship – with a welcoming community and lots of social activities loneliness is never a problem.
Beautifully designed properties – and the full independence of your own home, with your own front door.
Amenities – access to shared areas including restaurants, lounges and gardens.
Low maintenance – with the bigger jobs, like gardening and window cleaning, taken care of there’s more time to enjoy the good things in life.
Support – being able to access different levels of personal care and domestic support.
Security – the peace of mind in knowing you are safe and secure and protected by 24-hour security systems, emergency alarms and managers on-site

Wimborne retirement village

Ready to move in now: The Old Market Village offers retirement bungalows and apartments for sale, all set around a beautiful village green in a great location in the wonderful town of Wimborne – voted the number one place to live in Dorset by online lifestyle magazine Muddy Stilettos.

The range of on-site services include:

A licensed chef-run bistro
Communal lounge
Optional domestic and personal care provisions
Wellness suite for hair and beauty services
Landscaped gardens with boules court and potting shed

Petersfield retirement village

Coming soon: our Petersfield retirement village is nestled within the picturesque South Downs National Park in Hampshire. This retirement village will offer apartments plus a mix of bungalows and chalet-style bungalows in a convenient location near to local amenities.

The range of on-site services include:

A licensed chef-run bistro
Communal lounge
Optional domestic and personal care provisions
Guest suite Landscaped gardens

What levels of support do you offer?

The levels of support depends on whether you choose Retirement Living (usually for over 60s) or Retirement Living Plus (usually for over 70s).

For independent living - in a Retirement Living development, you'll find:

A friendly House Manager on-site during office hours.
A 24-hour emergency call system.
A luxury hotel-style guest suite for visitors to stay in.
A communal lounge and large landscaped gardens for socialising with neighbours.

For added peace of mind at a Retirement Living Plus property, you'll also get:

An Estate Management team that's on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
One hour of help around the house each week as standard provided by our in-house care and domestic support team. All of our staff are DBS checked and these developments are CQC audited.
A flexible level of personal care, so you only pay for what you need, when you need it.
An onsite chef-run bistro or restaurant, plus sometimes things like a wellness suite, fitness studio or hobby rooms too.

How can I live in a retirement village?

Whether you choose a retirement bungalow or apartment in one of our retirement villages in the UK or a smaller retirement community close to the heart of your local town, city or village.

Retirement living styles

Retirement Living

Easy independent living for people aged 60 and over. You’ll be looked after by a House Manager and enjoy shared amenities and a friendly community on the doorstep.

Retirement Living Plus

Independence combined with flexible assisted living for people aged 70 and over. Benefits include a chef-run bistro and optional Lifestyle Services from laundry to pet-sitting.

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Retirement villages

What is a retirement village?

What is a retirement community or development?

How do retirement villages work?

The benefits of a retirement village

Choose a McCarthy & Stone retirement village