Make Friends in Bognor Regis, a resort with a parkland heart

Some 35% of Bognor Regis homes are private lets, nearly double the South East figure, so other renters nearby may be hoping to meet people too.
Bognor Regis friends sharing a joke in a parked car
25,600+
residents in the Hotham, Marine, Orchard and Pevensey wards (Census 2021, ONS)
35%
of Bognor Regis households are private tenants; South East: 19% (ONS, 2021)
37%
of Bognor Regis homes have one occupant, against 28% regionally (2021 census)

Bognor Regis runs through Hotham Park

Bognor Regis parkrun in Hotham Park every Saturday morning is a lively way to make friends in Bognor Regis, among woods, a boating lake and a miniature railway. The Picturedrome cinema opposite the station has been showing films in a building dating from 1885, and the museum on West Street is open until November. Gofrendly helps Bognor Regis women meet nearby.

Bognor Regis, from the park to the prom

Bognor Regis friends laughing below a lit street lamp

What can you do in Hotham Park with a friend?

Hotham Park on Upper Bognor Road has a boating lake, woodland, mini golf, a play park and a little railway, set around the Grade II listed Hotham Park House. It is a 2026 Green Flag site, and Bognor Regis parkrun meets there on Saturdays.

When is Bognor Regis Museum open?

Bognor Regis Museum at 25–27 West Street opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am until 4pm, during its April to November season, with shorter hours of 10am to 1pm in November. It is a good rainy-day outing for two in Bognor Regis.

When and where is the Bognor Regis parkrun?

Bognor Regis parkrun takes place in Hotham Park on Upper Bognor Road, starting at 9am on Saturdays. It is a free, timed five kilometres for runners and walkers alike, and returning week after week soon makes the regulars in Bognor Regis familiar.

I rent in Bognor Regis. Where can I find friends?

Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets women renting in Bognor Regis see who lives a few streets away and send a message first. A stroll along the esplanade or an evening film at the Picturedrome works nicely as a first meeting.

Bognor Regis, a seaside town of renters

Bognor Regis is a seaside town in Arun, with Hotham Park and its 18th-century house at the centre and an esplanade that was given a makeover in 2025. In its four wards, around 35% of homes are private lets and almost 37% are lived in by just one person, both far ahead of regional levels. With so many renters and solo households, others nearby may well be hoping to find company too, whatever the season.

Renting a flat on your own near the sea can feel lonely in winter. Hotham Park and the Hothamton Sunken Gardens, which reopened in 2023, are both on the Green Flag list this year, and the park hosts carols at the bandstand in December. Marine Park Gardens in neighbouring Aldwick has a seafront kiosk, and Arun Leisure Centre in Felpham has a pool for regular swims. The Picturedrome runs subtitled and sensory-friendly screenings. Places to start:

1
Hotham Park, with woods, mini golf and a miniature railway.
2
Hothamton Sunken Gardens in the town centre.
3
The Picturedrome cinema, opposite the station.
4
Bognor Regis Museum on West Street.
5
Bognor Regis Library on London Road.
LOCAL TIP
Pick a Saturday and walk the parkrun in Hotham Park with someone new.
How to

Bognor Regis: ways to meet friends by the sea

1
Join Bognor Regis parkrun in Hotham Park on Saturday.
2
Book a subtitled or relaxed screening at the Picturedrome.
3
Walk the esplanade with Bognor Regis women from Gofrendly.
4
Go to Carols in the Park at the Hotham Park bandstand in December.

Choosing an app, and finding a best friend

Bognor Regis: the people who wrote this

Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja produced the Bognor Regis guide working with our editors, for West Sussex women who rent, live on their own or have moved to the coast for a change of pace.

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.

Make friends in areas across Bognor Regis