- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Tonbridge, below the Norman castle
Tonbridge Castle grounds have been open to the public since 1900, and nearly one Tonbridge household in five rents social housing.
37,200+
residents in seven Tonbridge wards, from Cage Green to Vauxhall (Census 2021, ONS)
19%
of Tonbridge’s seven-ward homes are social rented; South East: 14% (Census 2021, ONS)
18%
of Tonbridge homes, across seven wards, hold married parents with dependent children; 16% regionally (ONS 2021)
Tonbridge gathers by the castle and the river
Tonbridge parkrun, which starts on Castle Road behind the swimming pool at 9am on Saturdays, is an easy way to make friends in Tonbridge. The Racecourse Sportsground and Haysden Country Park are both 2026 Green Flag sites, the farmers’ market comes to Sovereign Way on the second Sunday, and the volunteer-run Oast Theatre stages shows through the autumn. Gofrendly opens another route for Tonbridge women.
Tonbridge questions, castle to country park
Can you visit Tonbridge Castle?
Yes. Tonbridge Castle on Castle Street has a 13th-century gatehouse and grounds that have been open to the public since 23 May 1900, when the town bought the castle. Visitors are asked to book gatehouse tickets online, and the riverside grounds make an easy meeting point in Tonbridge.
Who runs the Oast Theatre in Tonbridge?
The Oast Theatre on London Road in Tonbridge is run entirely by volunteers and has staged performances in a former oast house since 1974. Its autumn 2026 programme includes Dracula and Educating Rita, and it welcomes new members for acting, backstage work and front of house.
What is the new Angel Centre in Tonbridge?
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has proposed a new Angel Centre on the Sovereign Way car park, with a larger gym and studios, and 2025 reports gave spring 2028 as the target. The existing Angel Centre in Tonbridge stays open until then.
How do women in Tonbridge make new friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets Tonbridge women find others nearby and arrange a meeting by message. A loop of the castle grounds or a walk along the River Medway towards Haysden Country Park makes a relaxed first weekend plan.
Tonbridge, a castle town on the Medway
Tonbridge grew up around a Norman castle of the motte-and-bailey type on the River Medway, first recorded in 1088 when William Rufus besieged it, and the castle grounds were opened to the public in 1900. In seven town wards, nearly one household in five rents social housing and about 18% are married couples bringing up school-age or younger children, both above the South East figures. When school runs and commutes fill the diary, one fixed weekly outing makes it far, far easier to grow a local circle.
Even with family around you, weekday evenings can feel lonely. Tonbridge Library on Avebury Avenue hosts local groups and holds plenty of reading for the week ahead, the Oast Theatre on London Road is run entirely by volunteers and holds auditions, and tmactive runs Tonbridge Swimming Pool and the Angel Centre. A new Angel Centre is proposed for the Sovereign Way car park. A few places to start:
1
Tonbridge Castle and its grounds on Castle Street.
2
Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground, a 2026 Green Flag park.
3
The Oast Theatre on London Road, a volunteer-run stage.
4
Tonbridge Library on Avebury Avenue.
5
Haysden Country Park, west of the town.
LOCAL TIP
Commit to the Tonbridge parkrun one Saturday a month and build from there.
How to
Tonbridge: meeting people near the Medway
1
Volunteer front of house or backstage at the Oast Theatre.
2
Run or walk Tonbridge parkrun and stay to cheer in the last finishers.
3
Walk the riverside path to Haysden with Tonbridge women you meet via Gofrendly.
4
Buy breakfast at the farmers’ market on Sovereign Way on the second Sunday.
Friendship apps, and a friendship that worked
Our Tonbridge guide, and who wrote it
Our Tonbridge guide was written by Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja with the editorial team, for women in this Medway town who have families, commute or hope for more friends 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.