Kingston is becoming the new place to grow old, with wealthy pensioners settling in the royal borough instead of more traditional seaside retirement resorts, according to new research.

The town is becoming a prime location for rich pensioners in their 70s and 80s because of its history and beauty, according to analysis of demographic data by consumer research agency Experian.

According to the company, the apparent seaside snub has been caused by the huge increase in people reaching pension age in recent years, coupled with rising levels of wealth.

The massive surge in older people hunting for retirement homes means there will be 2.4m more over-65s by 2019 than there are today - an increase which have left coastal resorts struggling to cope.

Experian’s figures come from its huge Mosaic database, which divides the UK population into socioeconomic and lifestyle groups.

According to the database, the influx of the elderly into Kingston is from higher-status retired people living in purpose-built blocks of flats, which are more suitable for those too fragile to cope with the upkeep of their homes and gardens.

Professor Richard Webber, who helped develop Mosaic, said: “People want to spend more of their retirement in the country, in areas of attractive scenery.

“A lot more older people want to retire to places of historic importance, places that have orchestras and festivals.

“They’re looking at historic market towns and cities, places such as Bath and Cheltenham, cathedral cities and university towns where there are beautiful buildings.”

According to the database, the influx of the elderly into Kingston is from higher-status retired people living in purpose-built blocks of flats suitable for people too fragile to cope with the upkeep of their homes and gardens.

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