- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Pontefract, by the castle and the racecourse
Fewer Pontefract homes are privately rented than elsewhere in Yorkshire, while an outdoor market fills Market Place three days a week.
34,500+
people counted across the two Pontefract wards in 2021 (ONS)
13%
of Pontefract households rent privately; the region is at 19% (Census 2021)
15%
of Pontefract households are cohabiting partners; region 13% (ONS 2021)
Pontefract plays Scrabble on Mondays
Every Monday from 10am to noon, Scrabble at Pontefract Library on Shoemarket welcomes beginners and experienced players alike, a friendly way to make friends in Pontefract over a board. On Saturday mornings Pontefract parkrun circles the racecourse in Pontefract Park, and the outdoor market fills Market Place three days a week. Through Gofrendly, Pontefract women can look for a companion to share the walk or the stalls.
Pontefract questions, from market to castle
What days does Pontefract Market trade?
Pontefract Market in Market Place has an indoor hall trading every day except Sunday, 8:30am until 4:30pm, with outdoor stalls on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until 4pm. Shopping there on one fixed morning a week helps Pontefract newcomers and long-time residents alike start recognising faces.
Does Pontefract Castle charge for entry?
No. Pontefract Castle grounds cost nothing to explore, with the Keep Café and gift shop. Built around 1086 by Ilbert de Lacy, the castle saw royal scandals and Civil War sieges. Until 27 November 2026 there is no vehicle access to the main entrance, but the car park behind Pontefract Castle stays open.
Where is Pontefract parkrun held?
Every Saturday morning, Pontefract parkrun uses Pontefract Racecourse in Pontefract Park, some 1.2 km from the centre, over track, tarmac and grass. Its 727th run on 17 October 2026 had 441 finishers and 42 volunteers, so there is plenty of company in Pontefract.
Which app helps Pontefract women meet?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that connects Pontefract women with others close by, so they can swap messages and plan a first meeting. A Monday Scrabble session at the library, or a slow circuit of the Local Nature Reserve in Pontefract Park, gives two new friends something to do besides talk.
Pontefract, a Wakefield district market town
Across the two Pontefract wards, only about one household in eight rents privately, and around 15% are unmarried couples living together, above the regional rate. In a town with fewer short-term lets, it helps to find the places where regulars already gather and simply keep turning up, rather than waiting for a newcomers’ night that may never come.
If you feel lonely after moving in or a shift in your household, start small. Pontefract Museum, in the Art Nouveau former Carnegie library, costs nothing to enter, the castle grounds from around 1086 are free to wander and have the Keep Café, and Pontefract Park won its Green Flag again this year. The library runs Scrabble every Monday morning and the indoor hall opens six days out of seven, two fixed points to build a routine around. Aspire@ThePark, the leisure centre in the park, has a ten-lane pool and a climbing zone. Somewhere to start:
1
Pontefract Library on Shoemarket, with Monday Scrabble.
2
Pontefract Market, indoors Monday to Saturday.
3
Pontefract Park and its Local Nature Reserve.
4
Pontefract Castle grounds and the Keep Café.
5
Pontefract Museum on Salter Row, free to visit.
LOCAL TIP
Turn up to Scrabble three Mondays in a row and a regular opponent could be waiting.
How to
Pontefract: easy ways to meet new friends
1
Ask at Pontefract Library which morning groups are running this month.
2
Do Pontefract parkrun round the racecourse, which had 441 finishers on 17 October 2026.
3
Shop at the Wednesday outdoor market and stop at the same stall each week.
4
Explore the castle grounds with a new Pontefract friend from Gofrendly.
A fresh start, and what the numbers say
Who is behind this Pontefract page
Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, wrote this Pontefract page jointly with our editors, for Pontefract residents in settled homes who would like a few friends of their own 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.