How do I find a nice town to live in, in another county?

Hello all! Currently live in Essex, which is over 70% rural. I'm on the edge of a medium/large town, so 10 mins walk and I'm in the countryside, but still have lots of local shops within walking distance, a nice town centre, close to larger towns/cities for shopping expeditions and only 20 miles from London. I'm mortgage free, in a 2 bed house, and coming up to the age I can take lump sums from my pension. I want to move to a 2 bed bungalow, as I have a lung condition which could possibly mean I'll struggle with stairs long term if it gets worse. I couldn't walk up my own stairs without help or at least really slowly in the last few months before I got diagnosed, until I got onto treatment. Since I paid off my mortgage, I've basically gone part time, partly because of the fatigue I still get if I do long days like I did when I was younger (I'm a dog walker) so probably wont get another based on my earnings. So I need to move away from my town to be able to afford a bungalow, they are all at least 100k more than my house is likely to sell for where I live. So.. how do I identify a similar set up of countryside+ local amenities? Once I've got a vague idea I can go away for weekends. I drive so that's not an issue. I still have family in Essex so 90 mins-2 hours away would be the max. So far I'm looking at Manningtree but a friend is looking at cambs and lincs. I tried to make this short but it's horribly long and I don't even know if I asked my question clearly enough. 🤦‍♀️