Make Friends in Surrey, among hills, heaths and commuter towns

More than 1.25 million people live across Surrey’s eleven districts, and slightly more than half of the adults there are married or in civil partnerships.
Two women laugh together at dusk beside a glowing lamp, Surrey friendship guide
1,255,000+
Surrey residents counted across the county council’s eleven districts (ONS mid-2025)
50.6%
of people aged 16 and over in Surrey have tied the knot or registered a civil partnership, compared to the South East, where it is 47.6% (Census 2021, ONS)
35.2%
of Surrey households are repaying a mortgage or home loan, beside the South East’s 31.4% (Census 2021, ONS)

Surrey friendships grow on weekends and weeknights near home

The simplest way to make friends in Surrey is to keep one evening or weekend slot for the same activity near home. A Saturday climb up Box Hill, a class in Woking, Epsom or Farnham, or a regular walk round the glasshouses at RHS Garden Wisley brings familiar faces back each time, and after a few weeks a hello turns into a proper conversation. Gofrendly helps women in Surrey connect with others in their own area.

Surrey, your questions answered

Friends sharing a joke beside their bikes under a tall tree, for our Surrey friendship page

Which towns count on this Surrey page?

All eleven Surrey County Council districts count, Guildford included, so its residents are in the figures here. It also has a dedicated page with more about the town itself. Croydon, Kingston and Sutton were once in Surrey but are now London boroughs, so this Surrey page leaves them out.

Which Surrey walks work well for two?

The North Downs Way crosses the county, and short sections near Box Hill or Newlands Corner make an easy outing. Further south-west, the heaths around Hindhead and Frensham are quieter. In Surrey, a loop of an hour or two leaves time for a drink afterwards.

Can Surrey women meet friends without leaving their own town?

Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app listing Surrey women who live locally; swap messages first and decide together when to meet. A regular plan, for instance a walk every other Sunday, gives two people the repeated time together that friendship needs, wherever you live in Surrey.

Which places in Surrey are easy for a first meeting?

RHS Garden Wisley has paths, glasshouses and a café, so there is always something to talk about. Watts Gallery in Compton is smaller, with a tea shop beside the galleries. Both Surrey spots work for an hour or for a whole afternoon.

Surrey between the downs and the commuter line

Our Surrey page covers the eleven districts of Surrey County Council, from Spelthorne and Elmbridge near the London border to Waverley, Mole Valley and Tandridge further south. Guildford is part of it and is covered on a separate page too. Many Surrey towns sit on railway lines into London, so if you commute, evenings and weekends near home are the easiest time to build something local. Start with a small group that meets in a hall or a library near you.

Married people and civil partners account for over half the county’s adults, and a bigger share of households are repaying a mortgage than in the South East overall. That can mean family weekends and crowded diaries, and when old friends are scattered across other counties it can feel lonely. A fixed weekly slot helps: a community choir, a running club, a pottery class or a monthly food-bank shift. Some places to begin, wherever you are in the county:

1
RHS Garden Wisley near Woking, with glasshouses, long borders and a large café.
2
Box Hill near Dorking, a National Trust hill with viewpoints over the Mole valley.
3
The Devil’s Punch Bowl at Hindhead, with heathland trails and a National Trust café.
4
Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village in Compton, with galleries, a chapel and a tea shop.
5
Frensham Little Pond near Farnham, a National Trust pond with a sandy shore and heath walks.
LOCAL TIP
Try the closest first, then keep going back.
How to

Making friends in Surrey without the train into town

1
Find something weekly in your own town, on an evening you can always protect.
2
Invite a fellow regular up Box Hill or round Frensham Little Pond.
3
Find Surrey women who live nearby on Gofrendly and pencil in a weekend coffee.
4
Give some hours each month to a garden, a charity or your library.

Two friendships that started from scratch

Surrey: the people behind this page

Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and our editors are behind this Surrey page. It concentrates on the gardens, hills and town centres where women across the county can find people who live close by.

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.

Make friends in areas across Surrey