- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Exeter, from Northernhay to the Quay
Northernhay Gardens has been a public walk beside Exeter’s Roman walls since 1612, and the city’s 18 to 24 year olds add up to almost a fifth of its population.
137,800+
people in the city of Exeter, ONS estimate for mid-2025
19%
Exeter’s share of young adults, 18 to 24, compared with 8% for the region (ONS 2021)
25%
Exeter households in private rented homes; the region is at 20% (ONS)
Exeter plays board games on a Tuesday
The Board Game Club at Exeter Library, on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings at Castle Street, is a sociable way to make friends in Exeter. The library also hosts Stitch & Save twice a month, Exeter Farmers Market trades every Thursday where Fore Street meets South Street, and Exeter Riverside parkrun sets off from the Quay on Saturdays. Exeter women can link up through Gofrendly too.
Exeter friendship FAQ, walls to Quay
Is RAMM in Exeter free?
Yes. RAMM, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery on Queen Street in Exeter, has free entry, though some exhibitions charge. Open every day except Mondays and bank holidays, it suits a weekend meeting with someone new in the city.
Which days are Exeter’s farmers’ markets?
Exeter Farmers Market brings more than 30 producers to the junction of Fore Street and South Street each Thursday, 9am until 2pm. The Exeter Quayside Farmers’ Market adds a Saturday morning on the third Saturday of the month, beside the river.
What is St Sidwell’s Point in Exeter?
St Sidwell’s Point, next to Exeter’s bus station, opened in April 2022 as the UK’s first ultra-low energy Passivhaus leisure centre. Its three pools range from eight competition lanes to a confidence pool, so Exeter swimmers of every level can find a regular slot.
How can Exeter women turn neighbours into friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps Exeter women see who lives nearby, from St Thomas to Heavitree, and a short message can turn into a plan. A Quayside stroll or coffee near RAMM makes an easy first outing in Exeter.
Exeter social life, students to settled
Exeter is a cathedral city with Roman and medieval city walls beside Rougemont, and the Quay and Riverside Valley Park along the Exe. Across the city, students and others in their late teens and early twenties, 18 to 24, are close to a fifth of residents, and private lets house almost a quarter of households, outstripping South West averages. When a city fills up each autumn with students and new staff, regular plans you return to each week help new friendships last beyond the first term or tenancy, and Riverside Valley Park is there for walking them.
A lively city can still leave you lonely if you have not found your people. RAMM on Queen Street has free entry, the Exeter Northcott is staging its first full-scale musical in 20 years, and St Sidwell’s Point, the UK’s first Passivhaus leisure centre, has three pools. Devon County Council kept its library hours in May 2026. Places to try:
1
Exeter Library on Castle Street, with Board Game Club and Stitch & Save.
2
RAMM on Queen Street, free to visit.
3
Exeter Quay and Riverside Valley Park, home of the parkrun.
4
Northernhay and Rougemont Gardens beside the city walls.
5
Ludwell Valley Park, Devon Wildlife Trust’s orchards and meadows.
LOCAL TIP
Go to the Exeter Board Game Club twice in a row and learn a new game each time.
How to
Exeter: meeting people beyond campus
1
Bring mending to Stitch & Save at Exeter Library on a Monday or Thursday.
2
Run, walk or volunteer at Exeter Riverside parkrun on the Quay.
3
On Gofrendly, find an Exeter woman nearby and explore RAMM’s galleries together.
4
Shop the Thursday farmers’ market and get to know one stallholder by name.
Real friendship, real stories
The authors of the Exeter guide
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who founded Gofrendly, wrote our Exeter guide with help from the editorial desk, for women in Devon’s cathedral city who rent, have arrived for a course or a job, or want more friends nearby.
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.