- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 17, 2026
Make Friends in Kent, from orchards to the sea
Over 1.65 million people live in Kent’s county council area, which reaches from harbour towns to orchards and woodland.
1,652,000+
Kent residents in the twelve districts of Kent County Council; Medway is a separate authority (ONS mid-2025)
18.8%
is the Kent share of children aged 15 and under; the South East’s is 18.1% (ONS mid-2025)
10.5%
of Kent households are single-parent families; the region’s figure is 9.7% (Census 2021, ONS)
Kent friendships begin in your own town
To make friends in Kent, settle on a weekly activity near your front door and give it the same day each time. A walk along the Harbour Arm in Folkestone, a morning at Turner Contemporary in Margate or a class in Ashford, Canterbury or Tonbridge brings the same people back round, and a nod soon becomes a conversation. Gofrendly helps women in Kent meet others who live nearby.
Kent questions, from the coast inland
How much of Kent does this page cover?
Everything run by Kent County Council, so this Kent page includes Canterbury, Ashford, Tunbridge Wells, Folkestone, Dover, Thanet, Dartford, Gravesend and Maidstone. Medway runs its own council, so its figures are not included, and there is a separate Maidstone page with more ideas for the town.
Is there a coastal walk in Kent that suits a group?
Yes. The seafront between Folkestone’s Harbour Arm and the Leas is easy walking, and the coast from Margate towards Broadstairs suits a slower pace. On the Kent coast, choose a short stretch with someone new and finish at a café on the way back.
How can Kent women meet friends who live nearby?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that shows you Kent women close to home; send a message and meet once you are ready. Keeping to a regular walk or coffee helps, because seeing each other often is what turns an introduction into a friendship.
Which Kent spots make a first meet-up easy?
Bedgebury National Pinetum has woodland paths and a café, and the Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells has cafés along a pedestrian walk. In Kent, both suit a first meet-up, with enough to see to keep things easy and somewhere to sit when you want to talk.
Kent by the coast and in the countryside
Our Kent page follows the boundaries of Kent County Council, from Dartford and Gravesend near London to Canterbury, the coastal towns of Thanet, Folkestone and Dover, and Tunbridge Wells and the Weald in the south-west. Medway is a separate council and does not count towards these figures, and Maidstone has its own page too. Kent is large, so look for company near you rather than across the whole county.
The figures show plenty of young families: children aged 15 or younger make up almost a fifth of Kent’s population, and there are proportionally more lone-parent families than in the wider South East. School runs and shift work can fill the calendar, and if you have only just moved, the first weeks can feel lonely. Commit to one weekly fixture, whether a running club, a knitting group, a community choir or an early shift at a food bank. A few spots to start with, from coast to countryside:
1
Canterbury Cathedral, with services, music and grounds at the heart of the city.
2
Turner Contemporary in Margate, a seafront gallery with changing exhibitions.
3
The Harbour Arm in Folkestone, a former railway pier with food stalls and sea views.
4
Bedgebury National Pinetum near Goudhurst, with conifer collections and woodland trails.
5
The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells, a colonnaded walk with cafés and shops.
LOCAL TIP
Pick the nearest spot and return for a few weeks running.
How to
Making friends in Kent, starting near home
1
Join something local, ideally on a weeknight you can always keep free.
2
Ask a regular from your class to stroll the Harbour Arm or the Pantiles with you.
3
Connect through Gofrendly with Kent women in your area and propose a Saturday coffee.
4
Give one morning a month to a garden, a gallery or a community group.
Time, films and friendship
Kent: the authors of this page
Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, and our editors are the authors of this Kent page. It sets out the county’s coast, gardens and town centres as starting points for women looking for friends close to home.
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.