- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
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- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Gravesend, a Thames town with a 1268 market charter
Gravesend’s market charter dates from 1268, and the revamped Borough Market by the river now has a food court that seats up to 110.
58,300+
people across nine Gravesend wards from Riverside to Singlewell, Northfleet left out (Census 2021, ONS)
19%
of Gravesend’s nine-ward households rent social housing; South East: 14% (ONS, 2021)
13%
of Gravesend’s nine-ward households are lone-parent families; regional figure 10% (Census 2021)
Gravesend gathers at its Borough Market
A lunch in the Borough Market food court, which seats up to 110 and overlooks the Thames, is an easy way to make friends in Gravesend. The market trades Tuesday to Sunday just off the High Street, Windmill Hill gives river views from the highest ground near the centre, and Cyclopark parkrun sets off at 9am every Saturday off Watling Street. Gofrendly adds another route to meeting Gravesend women nearby.
Questions about Gravesend friendships
When is Gravesend Borough Market open?
Gravesend Borough Market opens Tuesday to Sunday in the town centre, just off the High Street and overlooking the Thames. After its revamp it has 21 permanent stalls, a café and a food court seating up to 110, so it suits a weekday lunch or a slow Sunday browse with a new friend.
Which parkruns are closest to Gravesend?
Cyclopark parkrun on Watling Street is the closest to Gravesend, every Saturday at 9am. Shorne Woods parkrun runs in the country park east of town at the same time, and Jeskyns Community Woodland parkrun is another option. Walkers are welcome at all three, and going back weekly is how the regulars become friends.
What is happening to Cascades in Gravesend?
Gravesham Borough Council is building a new £43m Cascades next to the old centre on Thong Lane. It said in 2023 that the current centre would stay open during the build, so check swim times first. The new Gravesend centre is planned with a 25m pool, a learner pool, a sports hall and a café.
Where do Gravesend mums meet other women?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets Gravesend mums and other local women spot who is nearby and message first. A play at Woodlands Park, a coffee in the market or a pram walk up Windmill Hill makes an easy first plan.
Gravesend, where Pocahontas was buried
Gravesend looks out over the Thames from the Kent bank, with the Town Pier, St George’s Church, where Pocahontas was buried in 1617, and Gordon Gardens beside the old fort. Across nine town wards, close to 19% of homes are social rented, and about one in eight is a lone-parent family, both above the South East. If school runs and shifts fill your week, one fixed plan of your own makes familiar faces reappear week after week.
Being lonely is easy in a busy town when your closest friends live elsewhere. Gravesend Library on Windmill Street opens Monday to Saturday, Woodlands Park has a volunteer team called the Revamp Woodlands Park Group, and a £43m replacement for Cascades is being built next to the old centre on Thong Lane. Shorne Woods Country Park, just east of town, carries a 2026 Green Flag, with its own Saturday parkrun a few minutes’ drive from the centre. Somewhere to start:
1
Gravesend Borough Market, open Tuesday to Sunday near the High Street.
2
Windmill Hill and Windmill Gardens, with river views and a bowling green.
3
Gravesend Library on Windmill Street, closed only on Sundays.
4
Cascades Leisure Centre on Thong Lane, where a new centre is being built.
5
Cyclopark on Watling Street, home of the Saturday parkrun.
LOCAL TIP
Pick the 9am parkrun at Cyclopark and see who is back the following week.
How to
How to meet people in Gravesend week by week
1
Join the Revamp Woodlands Park Group and lend a hand in Woodlands Park.
2
Walk or run Cyclopark parkrun on a Saturday and cheer the last finishers in.
3
Invite Gravesend women from Gofrendly to a table in the market food court.
4
Check the Cascades timetable and book a regular weekly swim.
Apps, patience and the road to a close friend
Gravesend guide: the people who wrote it
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and the editorial team wrote our Gravesend guide for women along this stretch of the Thames who juggle commutes, children or a fresh start in Kent.
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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