- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Hemel Hempstead, from the Water Gardens to Gadebridge Park
Over a quarter of Hemel Hempstead homes are social housing, comfortably above the regional figure, in a new town built around neighbourhood greens.
95,900+
Hemel Hempstead residents in the 2021 census urban-area count (ONS)
27%
of homes in the thirteen Dacorum wards that make up Hemel Hempstead are socially rented; regional share 15% (ONS, Census 2021)
13%
of households across those Hemel wards are lone-parent families; the regional share is 10% (ONS census)
Hemel Hempstead has a parkrun in Gadebridge Park
Gadebridge parkrun, starting at 9am each Saturday in Gadebridge Park, is one of the simplest ways to make friends in Hemel Hempstead. The park has a walled garden, a splash park and the site of a Roman villa, the Jellicoe Water Gardens run through the town centre, and the market fills Marlowes on Thursdays and Saturdays. Women across Hemel can also connect through Gofrendly.
Hemel Hempstead neighbourhoods: your questions
Which Hemel Hempstead park hosts the Saturday parkrun?
Gadebridge parkrun takes place in Gadebridge Park, off Leighton Buzzard Road in Hemel Hempstead, every Saturday from 9am. Gadebridge also has a walled garden, a splash park and a kiosk, so a run or walk can easily turn into a longer morning out together.
On which days does Hemel's market trade?
The general market sets up in the pedestrian part of Marlowes on Thursdays and Saturdays, 8am to 4pm. The Old Town Sunday Market follows on the first Sunday of the month, except January and February, and suits a slower Hemel Hempstead morning with a friend.
What are the Water Gardens in Hemel Hempstead?
The Jellicoe Water Gardens are a Grade II-registered garden laid out in the late 1950s along the River Gade in the centre of Hemel Hempstead. They won a Green Flag award in 2026 and make a calm route for a short walk between errands or after a coffee.
Hemel Hempstead women: where to start making friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, introduces Hemel Hempstead women to others in their own neighbourhood. A Saturday in Gadebridge Park or a walk through the Water Gardens makes a relaxed first meeting, and you can arrange the next one there and then.
Hemel Hempstead, Dacorum's new town
Hemel Hempstead grew from an old market town into a post-war new town and is now the largest town in Dacorum, Hertfordshire. In its thirteen wards, social housing makes up over a quarter of homes and single parents head about 13% of households, both clearly higher than the regional figures. Neighbourhoods such as Adeyfield, Bennetts End and Grovehill have their own local shops, so there is often somewhere close to home to say hello.
When work and family fill every day, life here can still feel lonely. Hemel has three Green Flag parks for 2026, a Saturday parkrun, a twice-weekly market in Marlowes and an arts venue in the Old Town Hall, a building dating from 1852. The Old Town also holds a Sunday market on the first Sunday of most months, which makes a pleasant outing with a new friend or a neighbour you are getting to know. Places to start:
1
Gadebridge Park, with a walled garden, a splash park and a 2026 Green Flag.
2
The Jellicoe Water Gardens, a Grade II-registered 1950s garden in the town centre.
3
Hemel Hempstead Market in Marlowes, on Thursdays and Saturdays from 8am.
4
Old Town Hall, High Street: an 1852 building that has been an arts venue since 1978.
5
Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre on Park Road, with a swimming pool.
LOCAL TIP
A Saturday in Gadebridge Park is a good place to begin.
How to
Hemel Hempstead: easy ways to meet people near you
1
Walk or jog Gadebridge parkrun and get talking to others at the finish.
2
Stroll through the Water Gardens on a market morning and stop for a coffee in town.
3
On Gofrendly, ask a Hemel Hempstead woman to explore the walled garden in Gadebridge Park with you.
4
See a show at the Old Town Hall with someone new and talk it over afterwards.
Friendship on film, and the friendships that end
Behind the Hemel Hempstead page: our team
Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, created the Hemel Hempstead page alongside our editorial team for women across the town’s neighbourhoods hoping to widen their circle.
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.