- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Fareham, from West Street to Cams Hall
Fareham appears as Ferneham in the Domesday Book, and almost one in four people in its central wards is 65 or over.
35,700+
residents in Fareham’s five town wards, Portchester and Titchfield left out (Census 2021, ONS)
24%
of Fareham’s central-ward residents are 65 or older; South East: 19% (Census 2021, ONS)
41%
of homes in central Fareham have been paid off in full; South East: 34% (ONS, 2021)
Fareham Library has a group most days
With a Knit and Knatter group on Tuesdays, a Spanish conversation club on Thursdays and a gardening club on Fridays, Fareham Library on Osborn Road is a busy place to make friends in Fareham. The Monday market trades on West Street, Fareham parkrun runs at Cams Hall Estate every Saturday at 9am, and Fareham Live, the refurbished Ferneham Hall, stages shows again. Gofrendly is another option for Fareham women.
Fareham library, market and parkrun questions
What groups run at Fareham Library?
Fareham Library on Osborn Road runs groups most days, including Knit and Knatter on Tuesdays, Community Knitters and a bobbin lace group on Wednesdays, Spanish and French conversation on Thursdays, a gardening club on Fridays and a chess club on Saturday afternoons.
Is Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham open?
No. Westbury Manor Museum on West Street in Fareham closed to the public on 4 November 2024, and Hampshire Cultural Trust handed the building back at the end of that year. In autumn 2026 a planning application was made to use it for up to two years as a youth hub with a youth café.
Where on the Cams Hall Estate is Fareham parkrun?
Fareham parkrun takes place on the Cams Hall Estate, off Cams Hill on the east side of Fareham, starting at 9am each Saturday. Coming back week after week, whether you run, walk or volunteer, is the quickest way to put names to familiar faces.
Fareham women wanting new friends: where to begin?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows women in Fareham who else is nearby so they can say hello before any plans. A coffee after the Monday market on West Street or a slow lap of the Sensory Garden of Reflection makes a gentle first plan.
Fareham, a market town at the top of the harbour
Fareham sits at the head of Portsmouth Harbour, a market town recorded as Ferneham in the Domesday Book, with West Street as its main shopping street and Fareham Creek running down to the water. Just over 24% of central-ward residents are 65 or over, and around 41% of homes have no mortgage left to pay, more on both counts than the regional average. If your days have opened up after work or family, a regular daytime group is an easy way to fill them with people.
Retirement or an empty house can feel lonely after a long run of busy weekdays, and Fareham has plenty to fill the gap. The library timetable also includes a Scrabble club on Mondays, a monthly Conversation Cafe and a poetry group, the Sensory Garden of Reflection off Osborn Road is among the 2026 Green Flag winners, and Fareham Leisure Centre on Park Lane is run by Everyone Active. Westbury Manor Museum closed in November 2024. Some ideas:
1
Fareham Library on Osborn Road, with a club on almost every day.
2
West Street, with the Monday market and Saturday artisan markets.
3
The Sensory Garden of Reflection, with its 24-plant sensory trail.
4
Fareham Leisure Centre on Park Lane, with several pools.
5
Fareham Live, the refurbished former Ferneham Hall with 800 seats.
LOCAL TIP
Choose one library group and give it a month of visits.
How to
Fareham: how to make friends nearby
1
Bring your needles to the Tuesday Knit and Knatter group at Fareham Library.
2
Run or walk Fareham parkrun at Cams Hall and help marshal once a month.
3
Plan a walk round the Sensory Garden of Reflection with Fareham women from Gofrendly.
4
Practise a language at the Thursday Spanish or French conversation group.
Friendship month and a story of two women
Fareham page: who wrote it and why
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and our editorial team made the Fareham page for women around the top of Portsmouth Harbour, whether newly retired, between jobs or simply keen to fill the week with good company.
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.