October 21, 2026

Make Friends After 40 in Hull and Begin a New Chapter

Over a fifth of Hull homes have one occupant under 66, well over the regional figure, which makes going solo ordinary here.

Hull, single and in your 40s: two women with bikes laughing under the trees

273,000+

people live in Kingston upon Hull (ONS estimate, mid-2025)

16,400+

Hull women aged 40 to 49, some 12% of the city’s women and level with the regional share (mid-2025, ONS)

22%

of Hull households are one person under 66; regional figure 18% (ONS, 2021 Census)

Hull suits a fresh start in your 40s

If you are single in your 40s and living in Hull, after a separation or simply by choice, the city makes it easy to build a new circle one evening at a time. Reading Activists, an evening book group, meets at Avenues Library, Hull parkrun sets off from East Park each Saturday at 9am, and the Maritime Museum reopened to visitors in August 2026 after six years. Gofrendly introduces you to other women in Hull starting afresh.

Hull for women flying solo: your questions

A car journey full of giggles for three women, illustrating a fresh start in Hull

Newly single in your 40s: what can Hull offer?

Book clubs at Hull’s libraries, the Saturday 5k in East Park and volunteering roles all bring regular contact with the same people. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, also helps single women in Hull reach others close by, so the first hello happens before you meet somewhere relaxed.

When did Hull Maritime Museum reopen?

Hull Maritime Museum reopened on Saturday 8 August 2026 after a six-year, £20 million refurbishment of the former dock offices in the city centre. For the first time, visitors can go up into the building’s dome, which makes it a good shared outing for new friends in Hull.

Do Hull library book clubs meet in the evening?

Some do. Reading Activists meets at Avenues Library between 6.30 and 7.30pm, while Ings Library has a book club from 4.45pm and the Central Library hosts an afternoon book club from 2pm, so Hull readers who work during the day still have an option.

Are Hull museums free to visit?

Yes. Hull Museums sites charge nothing for entry, including the Ferens Art Gallery and the reopened Maritime Museum, though the Arctic Corsair trawler is closed for restoration. Free entry makes a museum an easy plan to suggest twice, which helps a first meeting in Hull turn into a habit.

Starting a new friendship circle in Hull

Living alone is common in Hull: a single person under 66 heads over a fifth of households, above the regional figure. Newly single, divorced or simply drifted from old friends in your 40s? You are in good company, and it is normal to turn up to something by yourself. The city’s libraries, museums and parks cost nothing to use, so trying something new takes little more than time.

The first weekends after a separation can be lonely, and it helps to put fixed plans in the diary before they arrive. Book clubs, a weekly 5k and a museum visit with a new acquaintance all give structure to a 40-something diary. You can make friends after 40 here without changing who you are, just by becoming a regular somewhere, week after week. Libraries and parks are easy first steps, since you never need a reason to be there. Places worth a try:

Avenues Library, home to the Reading Activists book group on a Thursday evening.

Hull Central Library, with an afternoon book club and the Women of Words spoken-word group.

Hull Maritime Museum, reopened in August 2026 with its dome open to visitors for the first time.

Hull parkrun at 9am on Saturdays in East Park, which has a 2026 Green Flag.

Pearson Park, Green Flag-rated in 2026 as well.

LOCAL TIP

Go once on your own and put the next date straight in the diary.

How to

Meeting people in Hull as a single woman

Join an evening book club at Avenues Library and suggest a drink nearby after the next one.

Walk or run Hull parkrun in East Park each Saturday until faces start nodding hello.

Find a couple of Hull women in your age group on Gofrendly and plan a trip to the reopened Maritime Museum.

Bring a poem, story or song to Women of Words at the Central Library.

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Hull page: our writing team

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