- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Scarborough, from Peasholm Park to the Market Hall
In Scarborough, four homes in ten have a single occupant, and a spa water find from 1626 is still being celebrated in the town 400 years on.
45,200+
residents in six central Scarborough wards, Castle to Woodlands (Census 2021, ONS)
41%
of Scarborough homes are occupied by one person, well above the 31% across Yorkshire and the Humber (Census 2021)
31%
of central Scarborough households rent privately; Yorkshire and the Humber: 19% (ONS 2021)
Scarborough knits and sews on Wednesdays
On Wednesday afternoons Scarborough Library on Vernon Road runs a knitting and crochet group from 2pm, followed by a sewing group from 4pm, a gentle way to make friends in Scarborough over a shared project. Saturday mornings bring Woodlands parkrun along the trackbed of the old Whitby railway, and the Market Hall and Vaults in St Helen’s Square trade Monday to Saturday. Scarborough women can find a companion on Gofrendly for any of them.
Scarborough, briefly explained
Why visit Peasholm Park in Scarborough?
Peasholm Park has an oriental theme, with a pagoda, a lake and waterfalls, plus rowing boats and pedalos in season, putting and mini golf. There is a lily pond and rare trees in the Glen, and it is one of the Scarborough parks with a 2026 Green Flag.
What days does the Scarborough Market Hall trade?
Scarborough Market Hall and Vaults in St Helen’s Square opens Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, with shops, cafés, crafters and stalls spread over the main floor, the gallery and the Vaults below. The Grade II listed hall first opened in 1853 and was restored in 2017.
What is Scarborough 400?
Scarborough 400 marks four centuries since Thomasin Farrer found spa water at South Bay in 1626. Scarborough Art Gallery’s spa exhibition, Dive In!, runs from 26 September 2026 to 3 July 2027, with lunchtime talks such as one on 3 November, while the nearby Rotunda Museum covers coastal heritage and geology.
Scarborough women who live solo: how to meet people?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, puts Scarborough women in contact with others nearby; trade a few messages, then fix a first coffee. With four in ten homes here occupied by one person, a regular plan, such as Wednesday crafts at the library, saves organising from scratch each time.
Scarborough, a seaside town of single households
In the six wards at the heart of Scarborough, about 41% of homes have one occupant and almost a third rent privately, both far beyond the regional shares, while some 24% of residents have passed 65. If you are one of those living on your own, it can be easy to go days without a proper conversation, so a weekly fixture, booked in like any other appointment, makes a real difference to the week.
A flat with a sea view can be lovely and lonely in the same week. Peasholm Park, South Cliff Gardens and Falsgrave Park all won Green Flags in 2026, Scarborough Sports Village has an eight-lane pool, and the Art Gallery on The Crescent marks 400 years since the spa water was found with its Dive In! exhibition until July 2027. The library’s archive volunteers meet on Thursday evenings, and its concert room seats 220. Places to start:
1
Scarborough Library on Vernon Road, for Wednesday crafts.
2
The Market Hall and Vaults, opened in 1853.
3
Peasholm Park, with its pagoda and boating lake.
4
South Cliff Gardens and their Italian terraces.
5
Scarborough Art Gallery in Crescent Gardens.
LOCAL TIP
Stay on for the sewing group after the knitters pack up and you will have spent four hours in good company.
How to
Scarborough: little routines that help you meet people
1
Volunteer with the archive group at Scarborough Library on a Thursday evening.
2
Run or walk Woodlands parkrun, which reached its 67th run on 17 October 2026.
3
Pick up lunch at the Market Hall and Vaults and try a different floor each week.
4
Plan a spring pedalo trip on Peasholm lake with a Scarborough friend from Gofrendly.
Some numbers, and a month for friendship
Who wrote this seaside guide to Scarborough
Gofrendly co-founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja shaped this Scarborough page, every line read over by our editorial desk, keeping an eye on the many women in the town who keep a home on their own.
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.
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