- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Ellesmere Port, a canal town that knits on Mondays
Owner-occupiers hold 67% of Ellesmere Port homes and only one in seven is let privately, so neighbours here tend to stay.
59,200+
residents counted in eight Ellesmere Port wards, including the Sutton villages (Census 2021, ONS)
67%
of Ellesmere Port households own their home, set against the regional 62% (ONS, 2021)
14%
of homes in these eight wards rent privately; regional figure 19% (Census 2021, ONS)
Ellesmere Port knits on a Monday
A weekly Knit and Natter from 1.30pm on Mondays is a friendly way to make friends in Ellesmere Port, at the library on Civic Way. The library also runs wellbeing walks on Wednesdays and a book group every first Friday, and Ellesmere Port parkrun loops through Whitby Park every Saturday. Gofrendly adds another route for Ellesmere Port women to meet.
Ellesmere Port FAQ, from the docks to the park
Which groups can I join at Ellesmere Port Library?
Ellesmere Port Library on Civic Way runs Knit and Natter from 1.30pm on Mondays, an English conversation group and a family history drop-in on Tuesdays, wellbeing walks on Wednesdays and a monthly book group. Most sessions are drop-in, so you can simply turn up.
When does Ellesmere Port Market trade?
Ellesmere Port Market on Market Square opens Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, closing on Wednesdays. An indoor flea market runs on Monday, Thursday and Sunday mornings in the refurbished building.
Is the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port free?
No, the National Waterways Museum on South Pier Road charges admission, £13.25 for adults. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, and daily in the summer holidays and October half-term, and 2026 marks its fiftieth year protecting canal heritage on the Ellesmere Port dockside.
Ellesmere Port is new to me. Where do I start?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows women in Ellesmere Port who lives within easy reach, so you can send a note and then meet. A lap of Whitby Park followed by tea at the hall café makes a relaxed opening plan.
Ellesmere Port, a canal town on the Wirral
Ellesmere Port grew at the northern end of the Shropshire Union Canal, beside the Mersey estuary, and its docks now hold the National Waterways Museum, used as a filming location for Peaky Blinders. Across eight wards, from Central and Grange out to the Sutton villages, some 67% of homes belong to their occupiers and only around 14% are let privately, below the North West. On settled streets, a new face at a regular group is likely to be remembered.
Even where everyone seems to know everyone, you can feel lonely if your own circle has drifted away. Besides knitting, the Civic Way library offers a family history drop-in, a monthly U3A meeting and an English conversation group, and the refurbished market on Market Square adds an indoor flea market three mornings a week. Whitby Park and Rivacre Valley Country Park both won 2026 Green Flag awards, and Whitby Hall has a café. Try these:
1
Ellesmere Port Library, home of Monday Knit and Natter.
2
Whitby Park, with a café at Whitby Hall.
3
Ellesmere Port Market, open every day except Wednesday.
4
Rivacre Valley Country Park, with a visitor centre and paths.
5
Brio Ellesmere Port at the Sports Village on Stanney Lane.
LOCAL TIP
Meet the Wednesday wellbeing walk outside the library at 1pm.
How to
Ellesmere Port: meeting new friends close to home
1
Join the library reading group on the first Friday afternoon.
2
Take part in Ellesmere Port parkrun in Whitby Park on Saturday.
3
Meet Ellesmere Port women from Gofrendly over tea at Whitby Hall.
4
Book an aqua class at Brio Ellesmere Port.
A real story, and feeling alone among friends
Ellesmere Port, written by our team
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who started Gofrendly, put this Ellesmere Port page together alongside our editors for women in the town who have been here a long time or want to widen a small circle.
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.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.