October 17, 2026

Make Friends in Somerset, levels, hills and market towns

Somerset has had a single council since 2023, and its area is home to more than 590,000 people.

Two friends laughing as evening comes on, a street lamp behind them, Somerset friendship page

590,000+

Somerset residents in the Somerset Council area; North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset are separate (ONS mid-2025)

25.9%

are Somerset residents aged 65 and up; the regional figure is 23.2% (ONS mid-2025)

6.0%

of Somerset’s population is aged 18 to 24, fewer than the South West’s 8.2% (ONS mid-2025)

Somerset friendships grow in its market towns

The easiest way to make friends in Somerset is to choose one weekly thing in your home town and keep returning. A class in Taunton or Yeovil, a walk up Glastonbury Tor or a Saturday market in Wells puts you next to the same faces on repeat, and after a few visits the conversations come easily. Gofrendly helps women in Somerset find others who live nearby.

Somerset, the common questions

Somerset friendship guide: friends with bikes, laughing below a tree

Where does Somerset begin and end on this page?

It covers the Somerset Council area created in 2023, including Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Wells, Frome and Minehead. Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset, with Weston-super-Mare, are separate councils, which is why they fall outside these Somerset figures, even though they share the name.

Where can two new friends walk in Somerset?

The Somerset Levels are flat and open, and the RSPB reserve at Ham Wall near Glastonbury has easy paths. For hills, the Quantocks and the Mendips have short climbs with wide views. In Somerset, an hour’s walk and a cup of tea afterwards is a good start.

How can women in Somerset meet people near home?

Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that lists Somerset women nearby, and you can get in touch by message first. Sticking to a regular arrangement, for instance a fortnightly walk or coffee, gives a new connection the time it needs to grow.

Which Somerset spots work for meeting someone new?

The Museum of Somerset is in the middle of Taunton, and Wells has the cathedral green with plenty of cafés close by. Either Somerset setting gives you things to look at when the conversation needs a pause, and both are easy to reach.

Somerset since the councils merged

Since April 2023, Somerset has had one council covering the former Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, and South Somerset districts. That includes Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Wells, Frome, Glastonbury, Minehead and Burnham-on-Sea. North Somerset, with Weston-super-Mare, and Bath and North East Somerset are separate councils, outside these figures. With towns some distance apart, a local club is often easier to keep up than nights out in a city. Market days and village halls make natural meeting points, so start with whichever is nearest.

People of 65 or above make up roughly a quarter of residents, and fewer people are 18 to 24 than across the South West. In your twenties or thirties, or new to a village, the first months may be lonely, especially once school friends have moved away. Look for a weekly commitment close to home, such as a choir, a running club, a community theatre or a walking group. Worth a visit to begin with:

Wells Cathedral, with its carved west front and Vicars’ Close next door.

Glastonbury Tor, the National Trust hill with St Michael’s Tower at the top.

Cheddar Gorge, with clifftop paths above the village of Cheddar.

The Museum of Somerset in Taunton, inside the great hall of Taunton Castle.

Hauser & Wirth Somerset near Bruton, a gallery and farm with a garden designed by Piet Oudolf.

LOCAL TIP

Pick whichever is nearest and turn it into a habit.

How to

Making friends in Somerset, town by town

Go for something local that has a fixed weekly evening.

Ask a regular to walk up Glastonbury Tor or along Cheddar Gorge with you.

Open Gofrendly to see Somerset women nearby and suggest coffee after the Wells market.

Spend some time each month at a museum, a nature reserve or a community café.

One woman's story and a fresh start

Josephine & Bella’s Real Friendship Story: A Genuine Friendship, Five Years On

Josephine and Bella matched on Gofrendly five years ago. Here's the real story of how one match became a lasting friendship.

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September Reset: A Genuine Way to Rebuild Your Habits and Your Friendships

A genuine September reset isn't just about habits. Here's how the "fresh start effect" works — and why your friendships deserve a reset this year too.

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The writers behind our Somerset page

Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who set up Gofrendly, created this Somerset page alongside the editors. Towns, hills and the levels are its lens on the county, as settings for women to make friends close to home.