Locals call it ‘God’s Waiting Room’. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is yet to be seen.
But Sidmouth’s population is the envy of the country. Not because of its wealth or ability to perform some trick, but because the town continues to breathe life into its elderly.
Almost a third of those living there are over 75 and healthy, and continue to go about their day-to-day lives as normal.
Nestled into a cubby along East Devon’s stretch of the Jurassic Coast, Sidmouth is as pretty as a picture and boasts some of the UK’s most beautiful natural landscapes.
Perhaps that is the secret? Or perhaps it’s something in the air? Whatever it is, Sidmouth continues to baffle the experts trying to crack the code behind one of Britain’s oldest towns.
For a long time, life expectancy in the UK boomed. While in 1950 it stood at 68.63 years, by 2020 it had soared to 80.43 years.
In recent years, however, that figure stagnated, slightly fell, and eventually stalled in keeping up with countries like Norway and Sweden, where people can expect to live until 83.20 and 82.43 respectively.
Much of Sidmouth’s population outstrips this. But the secret to their longevity is not found in any diet or special concoction.
Graham Brooks, a 76-year-old whose mother, Audrey, turned 100 last year, told The Economist: “The sea air must help,” while a woman in a funeral parlour said: “We get a lot of people well into their 90s, 100s.”
The experts say it can be attributed to a combination of genes and lifestyle, while residents stand firm in the opinion that the breeze which sweeps inland from the English Channel has breathed a little more life into them.
The 2021 census found that East Devon had the highest number of centenarians per 100,000 people in England and Wales. The data show that there were 64 centenarians for every 100,000 people in East Devon in 2021, putting it at the top of the list above Arun in West Sussex (59) and New Forest in Hampshire (57).
Perhaps one of the most important factors behind Sidmouth’s elderly population is the amount of things to do.
Social groups and clubs for older people abound, with much room for residents to stay engaged and connected through social events to outdoor activities.
Sidmouth Senior Strollers, for example, is a group specifically dedicated to organising weekly walks along the various coastal paths, pier, and surrounding countryside.
Physical exercise is well-documented to help promote cognitive brain health and counteract the many effects of cognitive ageing.
There are also brass rubbing classes, a ukulele club and evenings of jazz for those wanting to revisit their dancing days.
Sidmouth’s ageing population is part of a growing trend seen across Britain but especially in its seaside boltholes such as Blackpool, Worthing, Bournemouth and Southend.
These places have come to be known as “Silver Zones”, areas that attract older people after retirement and so as a result drive the average age up.
In London, for example, with some of the country’s most efficient NHS provisions and easy-access public transport, only around six per 100,000 people are centenarians. You’d probably pass six centenarians on the street within the first hour of being in Sidmouth.
While the clustering may on the surface seem like a positive thing, on an economic level, it can prove disastrous.
That is because the zones can lead to income inequality, poorer access to healthcare, and negative environmental conditions that only exacerbate the disparities.
On Sidmouth’s official tourism website, the tagline describes it as “a place that is easy to find and hard to leave”. Perhaps that is the real secret to the town’s longevity.
