- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Stourbridge, by the Glass Cone and Heath Pool
Stourbridge’s Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley is one of only four left in the UK, and most Stourbridge households own their home.
62,900+
residents across five Stourbridge wards, Amblecote to Norton (Census 2021, ONS)
72%
Stourbridge households that own their home, including with a mortgage; West Midlands 63% (Census 2021)
23%
Stourbridge people aged 65 or older, compared with 19% regionally (ONS)
Stourbridge reads, crafts and feeds the ducks
The free Tuesday craft drop-in at Stourbridge Library in the Crown Centre, 11am to noon with no experience needed, is an easy way to make friends in Stourbridge. On the fourth Thursday of the month the Thursday Afternoon Readers meet there too, though there is a waiting list. In Mary Stevens Park the tea gardens café looks out towards ducks on Heath Pool. Gofrendly helps Stourbridge women find a companion.
Stourbridge: glass, parks and library groups
Is the Red House Glass Cone free?
Entry to the Red House Glass Cone on High Street, Wordsley, costs nothing, though some activities are charged. Built at the end of the 18th century, it made glass until 1936 and is one of four such cones left in the UK. It is a short trip from Stourbridge town centre.
Which Stourbridge park has a duck pool and tea gardens?
Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge has Heath Pool, where duck food is sold at the activity centre or café, a café in the tea gardens and restored Grade II listed entrance gates. The Friends of Mary Stevens Park organise volunteering and hold evening meetings for anyone keen to help.
What groups run at Stourbridge Library?
Stourbridge Library in the Crown Centre runs a free craft drop-in every Tuesday from 11am to noon and the Thursday Afternoon Readers on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2pm, which currently has a waiting list. Ask Stourbridge Library staff what else is coming up.
How do Stourbridge women find new friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps Stourbridge women find others in their area, from Pedmore to Amblecote, and get acquainted by message first. Feeding the ducks on Heath Pool and a coffee in the tea gardens make a friendly first outing.
Stourbridge, a glassmaking town for settled lives
Stourbridge built its name on glass, and the Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley made glass until 1936. In the five wards 72% of households are homeowners and 23% of the population is 65 or older, each above the West Midlands. Whether you are long settled or newly retired, old friends may have moved away or be busy with grandchildren.
An empty diary can feel lonely, but Stourbridge has plenty to share. The Glass Cone costs nothing to enter, Mary Stevens Park has restored Grade II listed gates and a Friends group that welcomes volunteers, and Crystal Leisure Centre on Bell Street combines slides in its leisure pool with 25-metre lanes, squash courts and a climbing room; check pool times before you go. Ryemarket Shopping Centre has something planned for Christmas on 5 December 2026. Dudley parkrun at the Dell Stadium in Pensnett is about 5 km away. Places to start:
1
Stourbridge Library in the Crown Centre.
2
Mary Stevens Park, Heath Pool and the tea gardens café.
3
Red House Glass Cone on High Street, Wordsley.
4
Crystal Leisure Centre on Bell Street.
5
Ryemarket Shopping Centre.
LOCAL TIP
Turn up to the Tuesday craft drop-in a few times and the library will feel like your own front room.
How to
Meeting people in Stourbridge after retirement
1
Drop in to the Tuesday craft session at Stourbridge Library.
2
Put your name down for the Thursday Afternoon Readers.
3
Ask the Friends of Mary Stevens Park about volunteering.
4
Visit the Glass Cone with a Stourbridge woman whose messages on Gofrendly made you smile.
Friendship stories to read next
Stourbridge: our founders on writing this guide
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja put the Stourbridge guide together, helped by our editors, for women across Stourbridge and Wordsley who have retired, whose families have grown up or who would like more friends on their doorstep.
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.