- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in East Sussex, from cliffs to forest
Over 27 in every 100 East Sussex residents are 65 or older, and the county stretches from chalk cliffs to heathland and forest.
561,000+
East Sussex residents, county council area only, so Brighton and Hove is not included (ONS mid-2025)
27.1%
of East Sussex residents are aged 65 or more, where the South East average is 20.2% (ONS mid-2025)
11.2%
of East Sussex over-16s are divorced or have a dissolved civil partnership, against 9.3% regionally (Census 2021, ONS)
East Sussex friendships grow along the coast
To make friends in East Sussex, choose one weekly outing near home and keep returning. A stroll along Eastbourne seafront, a visit to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill or a class in Lewes, Hastings or Uckfield lets you see the same people each week, and familiar faces soon become friendly ones. Gofrendly helps women in East Sussex meet others living nearby.
East Sussex questions, coast and country
Which towns are on this East Sussex page?
Eastbourne, Hastings, Bexhill, Lewes, Seaford, Rye, Uckfield and Crowborough are all included, because this East Sussex page follows the county council’s boundaries. Brighton and Hove is a separate council with its own city page, so it is not counted here.
Where can you swim or walk by the sea in East Sussex?
The East Sussex coast has shingle and sand beaches at Seaford, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings. If you want to swim, join an organised group or choose a lifeguarded beach in season, and for walking, the seafront promenades are flat and easy to follow.
How can East Sussex women meet friends nearby?
On Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, you can find East Sussex women living close to you and send a message before you meet. A seafront stroll or a regular coffee is a gentle start, and seeing each other often helps a friendship form.
Which East Sussex places work for meeting a new friend?
The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill has a café and changing exhibitions, and Sheffield Park and Garden has paths round its lakes. In East Sussex, both give a first meet-up something to look at, so the conversation never has to carry the whole visit.
East Sussex, seaside towns and the downs
Here East Sussex means the five districts under the county council: Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden. Brighton and Hove, with its own council and its own page, is not counted in these figures. The coast is a string of towns from Seaford and Eastbourne to Bexhill, Hastings and Rye, while inland the South Downs and the Weald hold market towns such as Lewes, Uckfield, Crowborough and Heathfield. Most of daily life happens town by town, so start near where you live.
East Sussex skews older: over 27% of residents have turned 65, and the divorce rate tops the regional figure. If you are starting over after a move, a separation or retirement, the start can feel quite lonely. Choose a regular date and keep it, whether that is sea swimming with a group, a walking club, a ukulele band or a shift at a hospice shop. Where to begin:
1
Seven Sisters Country Park near Seaford, with chalk cliff walks and the Cuckmere river.
2
The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, a seafront arts centre with exhibitions and shows.
3
Ashdown Forest, open heathland with car parks and walking routes.
4
Hastings Contemporary on the Stade, a gallery beside the fishing beach.
5
Sheffield Park and Garden near Uckfield, a National Trust garden with lakes.
LOCAL TIP
Try the closest, then make it a standing date.
How to
Meeting people in East Sussex after a fresh start
1
Book into a class in your own town and treat its day as fixed.
2
Suggest a cliff-top walk at Seven Sisters to someone from your class.
3
Reach out on Gofrendly to East Sussex women nearby and meet for a coffee on the seafront.
4
Volunteer monthly at a gallery, a heritage site or a charity shop.
A film list and a friendship story
East Sussex: the people who wrote this page
Our founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, wrote this East Sussex page together with Gofrendly’s editors. Seafronts, galleries and the forest are its focus, for women making a fresh start with new friends.
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.