October 19, 2026

Make Friends in Yeovil, by Ninesprings and the Country Park

Yeovil Country Park wraps round the south and east of the town, and social landlords house nearly a fifth of Yeovil households.

Yeovil friends ambling with their bikes in sunshine, laughing

41,300+

residents of Yeovil Central, East, South and West wards at the 2021 census (ONS)

18%

Yeovil homes in social rented housing, five points over the South West’s 13% (Census 2021)

27%

Yeovil people aged 25 to 44; regionally the share is 24% (ONS)

Yeovil walks the Ninesprings waterfalls

Volunteering with the Yeovil Country Park team, who meet most Mondays, is a practical way to make friends in Yeovil. The Ninesprings Café sits by the Victorian waterfalls next to Goldenstones Leisure Centre, Yeovil Library on King George Street opens until 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Westlands hosts the shows while the Octagon is rebuilt. Yeovil women can meet on Gofrendly, too.

Yeovil: Ninesprings, theatre and more

Yeovil woman smiling ear to ear at a colourful party

What is at Ninesprings in Yeovil?

Ninesprings is the Victorian part of Yeovil Country Park, with waterfalls, woodland paths and the Ninesprings Café on Brunswick Street, right beside Goldenstones Leisure Centre. It is the most used and most accessible area of the park, which makes it a handy Yeovil meeting point.

Is the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil open?

The Octagon Theatre on Hendford is closed while it is redeveloped into a creative arts centre, and its shows have moved to Westlands on Westbourne Close. Westlands is staging the pantomime Aladdin for Christmas 2026, so Yeovil still has a stage for nights out.

Can you run a parkrun in Yeovil?

There is a children’s 2k junior parkrun at Yeovil Rec, but no 5k parkrun for adults in the town. The nearest adult parkrun is Street parkrun at Strode College, about 22 km away, so most Yeovil walkers and runners use the Country Park’s riverside paths instead.

How do Yeovil women meet friends nearby?

Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets Yeovil women know who lives in their part of town, from Yeovil East to Yeovil West, and a message or two is enough to plan a meeting. A walk round the Ninesprings waterfalls with a coffee after is an easy start.

Yeovil, a Somerset town finding new meeting places

Yeovil sits on the River Yeo, and its market traces its history back to 1205. In the four town wards, social landlords house about 18% of households and people between 25 and 44 make up some 27% of the population, each a little above regional shares. When you work shifts or are bringing up young children, one fixed weekly outing is the simplest way to start seeing familiar faces, and the Country Park paths start right at the edge of the centre.

Town-centre evenings can feel lonely with the Octagon Theatre closed for redevelopment, but Westlands on Westbourne Close is staging Aladdin this Christmas. Yeovil Library now shares its ground floor with the council’s customer service point, Goldenstones has the pool, and the Country Park, run by Yeovil Town Council since 2024, takes in the River Yeo, Summerhouse Hill and Penn Hill. The park offers ranger-led activities. Places to start:

Ninesprings in Yeovil Country Park, with waterfalls and a café.

Yeovil Library on King George Street.

Goldenstones Leisure Centre on Brunswick Street.

Westlands Entertainment Venue on Westbourne Close.

The Riverside Walk along the River Yeo.

LOCAL TIP

Volunteer in Yeovil Country Park on two Mondays and you will know the regulars.

How to

Yeovil friendships: how to meet people

Ask the Yeovil Country Park rangers about the Monday volunteering group.

Book a seat for the Westlands panto with a new friend from the town.

Turn a Gofrendly hello in Yeovil into coffee at Ninesprings Café.

Ask at Yeovil Library which reading and craft groups are running this term.

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