Want to live longer? Move to Verwood (or Lymington, or Brockenhurst) (From Bournemouth Echo)

Want to live longer? Move to Verwood (or Lymington, or Brockenhurst)

8:00am Saturday 5th December 2009

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IT may be the clean air, the thriving community spirit or even the healthy woodland walks.

But whatever the secret, two Dorset towns, two New Forest towns and two towns just over the border in Somerset have made the top 10 of the best places where residents live the longest in the UK.

The Good Life is being experienced on a day to day basis in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, which came in at number two behind Montacute in Somerset.

Lyme Regis was placed sixth, Lymington was seventh and Verwood eighth.

Hinton St George in neighbouring Somerset is also on the list at number nine.

Financial management firm Watson Wyatt analysed three million pension records to calculate life expectancy by postcode, and said in Montacute you can expect to live on average to 89 years old.

Verwood town and district councillor Lucy Clark said: “We are delighted to appear at number eight in the list.

“Verwood is a very special place which although now a town has retained much of its village atmosphere and the community feeling is very strong.

“We also have three first schools and a middle school.”

Brockenhurst town councillor Martin Lockwood said: “You have got a good community, good transport links and there are many activities on offer for over-65s.

“In Brockenhurst you are never more than 100 yards from being right in the Forest.

“A lot of people are keen on walking – there are lots of walking clubs and wherever you go there are people out and about walking their dogs or strolling through the village centre.

“Certainly Brockenhurst is a brilliant place for fresh air.”

New Milton, Fordingbridge and Ringwood were all also placed highly.

At the opposite end of the scale, residents in Bootle, Merseyside, were found on average to have the shortest lives after 65.

Communities in Cumbria, Lanarkshire and Greater Manchester were also placed in the bottom five.

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