9 things that surprised me when I left London and moved to a small seaside town in Devon, England

After seven years living in London, UK, I unexpectedly found myself moving to the coast of Devon, in the southwest corner of England. 

Dartmouth is a small but charming town home to 10,500 people (most of whom are aged 50-80) and popular with tourists in the warmer months. It was recently named the second-most peaceful place in the UK and, with its vibrant water and colorful houses, has even been compared to the Greek Islands.

However, Dartmouth is also one of the most expensive places to live in the UK, close to the number-one spot of Salcombe and coming in at number seven itself.

I never planned to move to Dartmouth. I came here with just a few weeks' notice after my boyfriend was sent here for work and I, being fortunate enough to be able to work remotely, decided to come too.

It was a huge change from my life in London, but four months in, I absolutely love living in Dartmouth, even if it is far away from my friends and family.

Dartmouth is situated, as you might guess, at the mouth of the River Dart in Devon, a hilly, rural county known for its cream teas (scones with cream and jam) and coastline.

It is also, as I have found, very very far from, well, pretty much everything else.

The majority of my friends still live in London which is nearly five hours door to door, whether driving or taking the train (which requires driving 40 minutes to the nearest train station).

Far away though it may be, every time I travel back from a weekend in the big smoke, I see the beautiful views of the sea, the boats, and the rolling hills as the train steams through Devon, and I feel so happy to be coming home to such a lovely place.

I feel lucky to live here, but there have been a lot of surprises about moving to Dartmouth too.

Perhaps naively, I presumed everything would be cheaper in Dartmouth compared to London. I was wrong.

You're hard-pressed to find a main dish under £18, or around $23, in a restaurant in Dartmouth, and even takeaway fish and chips will set you back about £15, or $19 — but that is at local institution and one of the best chippies around, Rockfish.

I thought leaving London would mean getting a round of drinks in wouldn't bankrupt me, but it turns out that's not the case — when my boyfriend and I bought a pint of beer and a single gin and tonic at a pop-up waterfront bar last weekend, we were shocked when the price came to over £20, or around $25.

There are cheaper spots for eating and drinking in Dartmouth if you know where to go, and what's more, the quality is generally very good.

While a burger might be £19, or $24, it'll be not only delicious but also enjoyed in an old-fashioned, dog-friendly pub with timbered beams, a roaring fire, tons of charming ambiance, and friendly staff.

Dartmouth is a town that prides itself on good food, and if you're into fine dining you'll be spoilt for choice with restaurants like The Angel, Andria, and The Seahorse.

But there are also relaxed, affordable, delicious brunch spots like long-standing local-favorite Cafe Alf Resco which serves up full English breakfasts and more from 7 a.m. every day and regularly sees people queuing down the street for a table. 

There are lots of seafood restaurants, of course, as well as cafes serving delicious cakes and pastries, but if there's one thing Dartmouth lacks it's a proper pizza place — I do miss good pizza.

There are no chain restaurants in Dartmouth — there was a branch of the ubiquitous high street coffee shop Costa Coffee when I moved in January, but it swiftly closed — which I love. However, I feel slightly ashamed to say I almost miss them.

When I lived in London, I rarely went to the big chain restaurants because I figured there were so many better, more interesting independent places to try.

But it's strange how when you don't have the opportunity to go to Wagamama, Pret a Manger, or, say, Five Guys, you find yourself longing for it.

My days of Uber Eats or Deliveroo are behind me — we tried the local Indian restaurant delivery one day, only to place our order and learn we had to pay in cash, of which we had none, so had to venture into town to an ATM anyway.

While food and drink may not be cheaper in Dartmouth compared to London, rent certainly is. I now live in a three-bedroom house which costs less in rent than my one-bed apartment in zone three in London.

I absolutely love living in a house rather than an apartment (the novelty of having stairs hasn't worn off), and finally having space for my desk and a little home workout area feels like such a luxury.

However, I pay a lot more in council tax and utilities though, so it's swings and roundabouts.

There was also very little choice when looking for somewhere to live — there were two houses on the market that would work for me and my boyfriend, and one wasn't in the best location.

Many of the available houses were only winter lets because they're people's second homes who only want to come in the warmer months, which is sad.

While London is one of the most popular cities for tourists in the world, there wasn't anywhere near as much seasonal variation as there is in Dartmouth. 

When we arrived in January, the town was very quiet because there were very few tourists (or second homeowners) here.

From the spring onwards, the numbers have increased massively and I'm partly dreading summer when the pavements (and the river) will be rammed.

The charm of Dartmouth wows me every day. It has cobbled streets, an old fortress, a castle, colorful townhouses, boats bobbing along with the tide, and a quay where you can sit and enjoy an ice cream or a Devon pasty (if the seagulls don't get it first).

There's pretty much everything I need here — some of my friends have been surprised to learn there's a gorgeous beauty salon, River and Rose, for all my mani-pedi needs, as well as a fun cocktail bar where you can get a bellini for £6.50, or around $8 (I told you there were cheaper spots).

However, it's a slower, sleepier pace of life. I'm yet to find a bar or pub that stays open past midnight, most of the lovely cafes don't open till 9 a.m. (and don't even think about getting out your laptop there), and I swear half the time I go to the post office it's closed for someone's lunch break, staff illness, or some other reason.

I feel a lot safer walking around on my own at night than I did in London, where I was always terrified, and I don't worry about my packages being stolen.

I'm not sure I'll ever get over being able to walk out of my house and be by the sea in about a minute.

The sound of the seagulls and the waves is calming, and being able to pop to the beach after work feels like such a blessing — and one that hasn't even really come into its own yet, given I haven't experienced summer in Devon. 

I can't wait to swim in the sea, paddle with a kayak, or sail on a boat when the weather warms up. Research suggests that even short walks by the coast can improve psychological health, and I've certainly found this.

I love being in the countryside, so much so that whenever I go back to civilization I feel slightly overwhelmed by all the people now. 

Arriving somewhere totally new is exciting because there's so much more to discover in the surrounding areas. 

I'm yet to explore Dartmoor, a national park home to rare wildlife, moorlands, and river valleys, as well as our closest big city, Plymouth. I'm hoping to soak up the maritime heritage, visit the Plymouth Gin Distillery, and treat myself to some pampering at the nearby Gaia Spa at luxurious Boringdon Hall.

Devon is also home to lots of quirky, romantic, and exciting places to stay, such as Nymetwood Treehouses or Wolfwood Treehouses, or the luxurious but unpretentious The Pig at Combe, all of which are on my wish list.

Needless to say, getting around Devon requires a car, so I bought my first one at the age of 30. 

Although I passed my driving test at the age of 17, I had no need for a car while studying in Bristol and then living in London.

Not only is driving in Devon necessary, it's also terrifying — many of the roads are too narrow for two cars to pass (which is problematic when you struggle with reversing), they regularly flood, and some of the potholes are so deep you fear you'll fall in.

It was only a matter of days before I scratched my wing mirror on one of the old stone walls.

Arriving somewhere new and knowing absolutely no one, I figured it would be good for me to find a hobby (even though I'm perfectly happy just going on coastal walks). Unfortunately, none of my old hobbies are available here — I couldn't find an adults' netball team or dance classes.

What I did find, however, was a local theater company that was holding auditions for its annual Shakespeare production, so I now find myself wildly out of my comfort zone but rather enjoying rehearsing for our performances this summer.

It's proven to be a nice way to meet new people.

But then again, everyone I've met, from the women who work in the beauty salon to my neighbors, has been friendly. You just have to make sure you eat your scones the Devon way (cream first then jam) and, whatever you do, don't mess up your recycling boxes. It doesn't go down well.