- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 20, 2026
Make Friends in Woodford Green, at the edge of the forest
Nearly two in three Woodford Green homes are owned by whoever lives there, and the refurbished library and gym opens at 6am on weekdays.
25,100+
people live in the Monkhams and Churchfields wards that make up most of Woodford Green (Census 2021, ONS)
33%
of Woodford Green homes are owned outright, mortgage-free, set against 21% for London (Census 2021)
21%
of local households are a married pair with dependent children, ahead of 16% London-wide (ONS 2021)
Woodford Green walks into the woods
A good way to make friends in Woodford Green is to share a walk you would take anyway. Knighton Wood, on the Epping Forest side of town, has a lake, around 300 veteran trees and an easy-access trail with benches. Walthamstow parkrun, at the Peter May Sports Ground, is a short trip west on Saturdays, and Woodford Green Library & Gym on Snakes Lane West keeps its doors open till 10pm Monday to Friday. On Gofrendly you can line up a Woodford Green woman for that first walk.
Woodford Green, the local questions
What is the statue on Woodford Green?
It is a statue of Winston Churchill by the sculptor David McFall, unveiled by Lord Montgomery on 31 October 1959. It stands at the junction of Broomhill Road and High Road on Woodford Green, and it is listed on the Imperial War Museums memorials register.
Is there a good forest walk near Woodford Green?
Yes. Knighton Wood and Lord’s Bushes lie between Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill, with about 300 veteran trees, Knighton Lake and a 0.65km easy-access path with benches. There are no toilets or cafés close by, and Roding Valley and Buckhurst Hill stations are both about 500m away.
What is at the library and gym in Woodford Green?
The centre on Snakes Lane West combines a library, a gym, public computers and a children’s library, and was refurbished in 2021. Its building hours run from 6am to 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm at weekends; staffed library hours in Woodford Green may be shorter.
Can parents in Woodford Green find friends nearby?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app on which Woodford Green mothers, and anyone else, can spot who is close by and message first. Over 20% of homes in these wards house a married couple and their dependants, so suggesting the swings followed by a forest stroll is a natural plan.
How friendships take root in Woodford Green
Woodford Green is a settled place. Owner-occupiers hold nearly 65% of homes, a third carry no mortgage at all, and married couples with kids still dependent on them account for more than 20% of local households, so if you have children, the school gate is a natural first place to look. That stability helps friendship, but it can make the area seem closed when you are the newest face in the street. The answer is to find the groups that already meet and become a regular there.
When everyone on the road seems to have known each other forever, a quiet weekend can feel lonely. The statue on the green, unveiled in 1959, makes an easy meeting point, and Knighton Wood’s Rowan Trail loops past the lake. Woodford Green Library & Gym, refurbished in 2021, keeps long opening hours, and the Redbridge Drama Centre in South Woodford hosts classes and studio shows. Worth a try:
1
The easy-access lake trail in Knighton Wood.
2
Walthamstow parkrun, three-and-a-bit laps of the Peter May Sports Ground.
3
Early gym sessions at Woodford Green Library & Gym.
4
Drama classes at the Redbridge Drama Centre.
5
Roding Valley parkrun, two grassy laps of the recreation ground.
LOCAL TIP
Walk the lake trail at the same hour every Sunday and the dog walkers will start saying hello first.
How to
Woodford Green ways to meet new people
1
Meet at the statue on the green and walk up through Knighton Wood to the lake.
2
Put your name down to volunteer at Walthamstow parkrun, which had 268 finishers on 17 October 2026.
3
Look up the drama classes held at the Redbridge Drama Centre in South Woodford.
4
Invite a Woodford Green woman from Gofrendly along the Rowan Trail one Sunday morning.
A couple of reads for the forest bench
The pair behind our Woodford Green guide
Made for women on the forest side of Redbridge who want to know more of their neighbours, this Woodford Green guide is by Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, and our editors.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
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