- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Brighouse, from Ship Street market to the Rydings
Brighouse’s free Smith Art Gallery, opened in 1907, stands beside the library at The Rydings, and Brighouse has more one-person households than the region.
21,900+
residents of the Brighouse and Rastrick wards (Census 2021, ONS)
36%
Brighouse households of just one person; Yorkshire and the Humber 31% (Census 2021)
38%
Brighouse homes owned outright, compared with 34% in the region (ONS)
Brighouse browses the market and the gallery
The Smith Art Gallery on Halifax Road, free to visit and sharing The Rydings with Brighouse Library, is a calm place to start if you want to make friends in Brighouse. The open market on Ship Street trades on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and Brighouse Pool and Fitness Centre runs a weekday warm space for tea and games. On Gofrendly, Brighouse women can find a companion for any of these.
Brighouse: gallery, market and pool
Is Brighouse’s art gallery at The Rydings free?
Yes, the Smith Art Gallery on Halifax Road, Brighouse, costs nothing to visit. Alderman William Smith built it and gave it, with his art collection, to the people of Brighouse in 1907, and the front gallery shows oil paintings including works by Atkinson Grimshaw. It is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Brighouse Open Market: which days and hours?
Brighouse Open Market on Ship Street trades on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 4pm. A new canalside market with 21 fixed stalls and room for pop-up traders was completed in October 2025 with Town Deal money, so check the Brighouse market page for its latest arrangements.
Brighouse runners: which parkrun is closest?
Brighouse runners have to travel for parkrun. Huddersfield parkrun in Greenhead Park is about 6 km away and very busy, with over 700 finishers on a recent Saturday, while Halifax parkrun in Shroggs Park, about 7 km from Brighouse, is a smaller alternative.
How can Brighouse women make friends nearby?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps Brighouse women find others close to home, from Rastrick to Hove Edge, and trade messages before choosing where to meet. A wander round the market and a cuppa nearby is a gentle first plan.
Brighouse, a canal town where many live solo
Brighouse is a Calderdale canal town, and a new canalside market with 21 fixed stalls was completed in October 2025 with Town Deal funding. In the Brighouse and Rastrick wards 36% of households hold just a single resident and 38% of homes are mortgage-free, higher than the regional shares. Living by yourself, it helps to have somewhere to go on the same days each week.
Living solo can be lonely, so pick places with company built in. The Smith Art Gallery, given to the town by Alderman William Smith in 1907, shows oil paintings by Atkinson Grimshaw and others with no admission charge, Brighouse Library next door at The Rydings has a lift and a meeting room, and Brighouse Pool by Wellholme Park offers two pools, a 65-station gym and studios. Huddersfield and Halifax parkruns are both within about 7 km, and the Sunday market makes a pleasant weekend wander with a friend. Where to begin in Brighouse:
1
Brighouse Library and the Smith Art Gallery on Halifax Road.
2
Brighouse Open Market, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
3
Brighouse Pool and Fitness Centre on Woodvale Road.
4
Wellholme Park beside the pool.
5
The canal through the town centre.
LOCAL TIP
Try the weekday warm space at the pool a couple of times and the tea will come with conversation.
How to
How to meet people in Brighouse on your own terms
1
Ask Brighouse Library about its readers group and other sessions.
2
Drop into the weekday warm space at Brighouse Pool for tea and games.
3
Browse the Sunday market with a new friend.
4
Take a Brighouse woman you know from Gofrendly round the Smith Art Gallery.
Friendship reads for a fresh start
Who wrote the Brighouse page, and for whom
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja created this Brighouse guide with the support of our editors, for Calderdale women who are on their own, newly retired or new to the town and want company.
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.