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Coordinates: 51°32′10″N 0°53′54″W / 51.5362°N 0.8984°W / 51.5362; -0.8984

Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames  Henley-on-Thames shown within Oxfordshire
Population	10,646 [1]
OS grid reference	SU7682
- London	36.4mi
District	South Oxfordshire
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HENLEY-ON-THAMES
Postcode district	RG9
Dialling code	01491
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Henley
List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire

Henley-on-Thames is a town on the north side of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead. It is located near the corner between the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

History

The first record of medieval settlement dates to 1179, when it is recorded that King Henry II "had bought land for the making of buildings". King John granted the manor of Benson and the town an manor of Henley to Robert Harcourt in 1199. A church is first mentioned at Henley in 1204. In 1205 the town received a paviage grant, and in 1234 the bridge is first mentioned. In 1278 Henley is described as a hamlet of Benson with a Chapel. It is probable that the street plan was established by the end of the 13th century.

As a demesne of the crown it was granted to John de Molyns, in 1337 whose family held it for about 250 years. It is said that members for Henley sat in parliaments of Edward I and Edward III, but no writs have been found to substantiate this.

The existing Thursday market, it is believed, was granted by a charter of King John. A market was certainly in existence by 1269, however, the jurors of the assize of 1284 said that they did not know by what warrant the earl of Cornwall held a market and fair in the town of Henley. The existing Corpus Christi fair was granted by a charter of Henry VI.

During the Black Death that swept through England in the 14th century, Henley lost 60% of its population.^[2]

By the beginning of the 16th century the town extended along the west bank of the Thames from Friday Street in the south to the Manor, now Phyllis Court, in the north and took in Hart Street and New Street. To the west it included Bell Street and the Market Place.

Henry VIII, having granted the use of the titles "mayor" and "burgess", the town was incorporated in 1568 by the name of the warden, portreeves, burgesses and commonalty.

Henley suffered from both parties in the Civil War. William III on his march to London in 1688 rested here, at the nearby recently rebuilt Fawley Court and received a deputation from the Lords. The period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries was due to manufactures of glass and malt, and to trade in corn and wool.

Henley-on-Thames owes much to its location and port that supplied London with timber and grain.

Structures

River Thames, the five arched Henley Bridge, Leander Club (to the far left) and the tower of St. Mary's church (right)

Henley Bridge is a five arched bridge across the river which was built in 1786. The church of St. Mary is located nearby and features a tower built in the 16th century. About a mile upstream of the bridge is Marsh Lock.

In the vicinity of Henley, there are several notable private buildings:

• Fawley Court is a red-brick building designed by Christopher Wren for William Freeman (1684) with subsequent interior remodelling by James Wyatt and landscaping by Lancelot "Capability" Brown.
• Greenlands which took its present form when owned by W. H. Smith and is now home to Henley Management College

Present day

Henley-on-Thames from by the playground near the Rail Station

The town has its own railway station, with direct service into London Paddington during peak hours. Off-peak service requires a change of train at Twyford. In addition, there are also express mainline rail services from nearby Reading to Paddington and High Wycombe which accesses London Marylebone. A short drive along the M4 motorway leads directly into London or along the M40 motorway to Hillingdon for the London Underground. The local bus service around the town is operated by Whites Coaches 151, 152, 153 and 154 routes.

The River and Rowing Museum, located in Mill Meadows, is the town's one museum. It was established in 1998, and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The museum, designed by the architect David Chipperfield, features information on the River Thames, the sport of rowing, and the town of Henley itself.

Rowing regatta

Boathouses on the north bank of the river near the finish of the Royal Regatta.

Henley is a world renowned centre for rowing, each summer holding the Henley Royal Regatta, one of the highlights of the social calendar of the English middle and upper classes. The regatta is held on a stretch of the river that is naturally straight. The event became Royal in 1851. In that year Prince Albert became the patron of the regatta.

Other regattas and rowing races are held on the same reach, including: Henley Women's Regatta and the Henley Boat Races for women's and lightweight teams between Oxford and Cambridge University, Henley Veteran Regatta, Upper Thames Small Boats Head, Henley Sculling Head, and Henley Small Boats Head. These heads often attract strong crews that have won medals at National Championships.

Local rowing clubs include:

• Henley Rowing Club (located upstream of Henley Bridge)
• Leander Club (world famous, home to Olympic and World Champions, near Henley Bridge)
• Phyllis Court Rowing Club (part of the Phyllis Court Club and set up for recreational rowing)
• Upper Thames Rowing Club (located just upstream from the 3/4 mile mark/Fawley/Old Blades)

Notable people

• British engineer Ross Brawn best known for his role as the technical director of the Scuderia Ferrari f1 team and current owner of the Brawn GP F1 team.
• The Freeman family of Fawley Court: Several generations of Freemans lived at Fawley Court on the outskirts of Henley from 1684 to 1852. They contributed significantly to the development of Henley and the surrounding area as well as more generally to architecture and the study of antiquities (John (Cooke) Freeman and Sambrooke Freeman), and veterinary science and equitation (Strickland Freeman).
• Humphrey Gainsborough, brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough, was a pastor and inventor who lived in Henley. A blue plaque marks his house, "The Manse".
• Musician Liam Gallagher of Oasis and his wife Nicole Appleton of All Saints have a second home in Henley-on-Thames.
• Musician George Harrison lived at Friar Park, Henley-on-Thames from the 1970s until his death in 2001.
• Politician Boris Johnson was the Member of Parliament until he resigned after being elected Mayor of London. A by-election elected Conservative John Howell to be the next MP of Henley.
• Politician William Lenthall was born in Henley-on-Thames. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1629 and 1640.
• Author George Orwell spent some of his formative years in Henley-on-Thames and the nearby village of Shiplake.
• Radio 2 and BBC Berkshire broadcaster Andrew Peach lives in Henley with his wife and two children.
• Broadcaster Phillip Schofield lives in Henley with his wife and two daughters.
• Singer Dusty Springfield has a gravesite and marker in the grounds of a church in Henley-on-Thames. Her ashes were scattered in Henley and in Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher. Every year, fans of Dusty Springfield gather in Henley to celebrate "Dusty Day" on the closest Sunday to her birthday (16 April)
• Harry Stott, joint winner of I'd Do Anything and star of TV show Roman Mysteries.
• The American science fiction writer James Blish lived in Henley after 1968 until his death there in 1975.

Twinning

Henley-on-Thames is twinned with

• Falaise, France, since 1973
• Leichlingen, Germany, since 1979
• Borama, Somalia, since 1981

See also

• Henley Festival, held each July
• Boris Johnson, previous Tory MP for the constituency, & now Mayor of London;
• Michael Heseltine, earlier Tory MP for the constituency;
• Brakspear Brewery, founded in 1779 but now closed;
• Dusty Springfield, buried at the St. Mary the Virgin Church in Hart Street, Henley;
• David Tomlinson, born and raised here. Played "Mr. Banks" in Mary Poppins;
• Lee Radziwill and her husband prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł, past resident of Henley;
• George Harrison, past resident of Henley at the Friar Park mansion;
• Leander Club, one of the world's oldest rowing clubs
• Henley shirt, a garment named after the town because it was the traditional uniform of the rowing clubs;
• Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician, is a native.

Media

Henley's Local newspaper is the Henley Standard

Henley's Local radio stations are: Heart Berkshire, BBC Radio Berkshire and Reading 107 locally broadcast from Reading.

Time 106.6 is broadcast from Slough

The rest are London stations which can also be received. This is the local bandscan below.

BBC Radio 1 (98.5, 98.8), BBC Radio 2 (88.8, 89.1), BBC Radio 3 (91.0, 91.3), BBC Radio 4 (93.2, 93.5), Classic fm (100.6, 100.9), BBC Radio Berkshire (94.6,95.4,104.1,104.4), BBC London 94.9 (94.9), LBC 97.3 (97.3), Capital FM (95.8), Kiss 100 (100.0), Magic 105.4 FM (105.4), Smooth Radio London (102.2), Absolute Radio (105.8), Xfm London (104.9), Heart London (106.2), Heart Berkshire (97.0, 102.9, 103.4), Time 106.6 (106.6), Reading 107 (107.0), Regatta Radio (87.7) (during HRR).

Local television news programmes are the BBC's South Today and ITV's Meridian Tonight.

References

External links

• Henley - aerial photo
• Henley-on-Thames Town Council - history
• Henley-on-Thames Organisation
• Henley Standard local newspaper
• River and Rowing Museum
• Henley Royal Regatta
• Henley Youth Festival held each March
• Henleys local bus service

The District of South Oxfordshire Oxfordshire • County Council elections • District Council elections • Henley County Constituency • Wantage County Constituency Towns Didcot • Henley-on-Thames • Thame (Moreton) • Wallingford • Watlington (Christmas Common, Northend) Large Villages Benson (Preston Crowmarsh) • Berinsfield • Brightwell-cum-Sotwell • Chalgrove • Chinnor (Emmington, Henton, Oakley) • Cholsey (Winterbrook) • Crowmarsh (Crowmarsh Gifford, North Stoke, Mongewell, Newnham Murren) • Ewelme • Garsington • Goring-on-Thames • Great Milton • Horspath (Bullingdon Green) • Sandford-on-Thames • Shiplake (Lower Shiplake) • Sonning Common • Wheatley • Woodcote Other Civil Parishes (Component Villages and Hamlets) Adwell • Aston Rowant • Aston Tirrold • Aston Upthorpe • Beckley and Stowood (Beckley, Stowood) • Berrick Salome (Berrick Prior, Roke, Rokemarsh) • Binfield Heath • Bix and Assendon (Bix, Bix Bottom, Lower Assendon, Middle Assendon) • Brightwell Baldwin • Britwell Salome • Checkendon • Clifton Hampden (Burcot) • Crowell • Cuddesdon and Denton (Cuddesdon, Denton) • Culham • Cuxham with Easington (Cuxham, Easington) • Dorchester • Drayton St. Leonard • East Hagbourne (Coscote) • Elsfield • Eye and Dunsden (Sonning Eye, Dunsden Green, Playhatch) • Forest Hill with Shotover (Forest Hill, Shotover) • Goring Heath (Whitchurch Hill, Cray's Pond) • Great Haseley (Latchford, Little Haseley, North Weston, Rycote) • Harpsden • Highmoor (Satwell) • Holton • Ipsden • Kidmore End (Gallowstree Common) • Lewknor (Postcombe, South Weston) • Little Milton • Little Wittenham • Long Wittenham • Mapledurham (Trench Green, Chazey Heath) • Marsh Baldon (Baldon Row) • Moulsford • Nettlebed • Newington (Great Holcombe) • North Moreton • Nuffield • Nuneham Courtenay • Pishill with Stonor (Pishill, Stonor, Russell's Water) • Pyrton • Rotherfield Greys • Rotherfield Peppard • Shirburn • South Moreton (Fulscot) • South Stoke (Littlestoke) • Stadhampton (Chiselhampton, Brookhampton, Ascott) • Stanton St. John (Woodperry) • Stoke Row • Stoke Talmage • Swyncombe • Sydenham (Kingston Stert) • Tetsworth • Tiddington-with-Albury (Tiddington, Albury) • Toot Baldon • Towersey • Warborough (Shillingford) • Waterstock • West Hagbourne • Wheatfield • Whitchurch-on-Thames • Woodeaton • Waterperry with Thomley (Waterperry, Thomley) Former Districts and Boroughs Bullingdon Rural District • Municipal Borough of Henley-on-Thames • Henley Rural District • Thame Urban District • Municipal Borough of Wallingford • Wallingford Rural District Crowmarsh Rural District • Culham Rural District • Goring Rural District • Headington Rural District • Thame Rural District Former Constituencies Oxfordshire County Constituency • Wallingford Borough Constituency • Abingdon Borough Constituency • Berkshire North or Abingdon County Constituency • Abingdon County Constituency List of Parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire • List of places in Oxfordshire • List of civil parishes in Oxfordshire

From Wikitravel

Henley-on-Thames, home of the Royal Regatta

Henley-on-Thames is a town on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England. Henley is perhaps most famous as the home of the well-known international rowing tournament, the Henley Royal Regatta [1], held each year in late June and early July.

(NB: Henley-on-Thames should not be confused with Henley-in-Arden).

Get in

By Train

Henley is the terminus of a railway branch line that joins the main Reading to London line at Twyford; however most branch line trains continue on to Reading. There are also direct services to London Paddington at peak times taking about 45 minutes. Train times can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling 0845-748-4950 from anywhere in the UK.

By Car

Henley-on-Thames is served by the M4 motorway which runs from London to South Wales. It is about 35 miles/40 minutes from Central London. The best junction to use is 8/9. Being close to the M4 this makes places like Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, Windsor, Maidenhead, Slough, High Wycombe and Basingstoke all within easy reach.

By Plane

Henley-on-Thames is well served by Southern England's collection of airports and actually under the flight-path of Heathrow. For travellers coming directly to Henley-on-Thames, the most convenient (in reducing order of convenience) are:

• Heathrow Airport is about 20 miles/25 minutes drive straight down the M4 (westbound) motorway. Alternatively it is linked directly to Reading rail station by the RailAir express bus service running every 20 minutes or so and taking about 1 hour. Indirectly, by the Heathrow Connect train service (change at Hayes) take about 55 minutes.

• Southampton Airport is about 45 miles/50 minutes drive away down the M3 motorway. Alternitivly there is a sevice from Reading direct to Southampton Airport taking about 1 hour.

• Gatwick Airport is about 55 miles/60 minutes drive away via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. There is a through train service to Reading from a rail station in the airport terminal complex, running twice an hour and taking a hour.

• Luton Airport is about 60 miles/70 minutes drive away via the M1 (southbound), M25 (westbound) and M4 (westbound) motorways. Luton Airport Parkway connects the airport to Kings Cross station every 35 minutes, the tube to London Paddington station.

• Stansted Airportis about 75 miles/90 minutes drive away via the M11 (southbound), M25 (anti-clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. By train you will need to catch a Stanstead Express train to London Liverpool Street station, the tube to London Paddington station.

By Bus

Hurley Link 239 provides a service from Hart street to Frascati way, Maidenhead.

Arriva 800/850 stops at various points in the town from Reading to High Wycombe.

By Boat

The nearest major ferry port to Henley-on-thames is Portsmouth Harbour which is located west of Portsmouth. Destinations from Portsmouth include The Channel Islands, France, Northern Spain and the Isle of Wight. It is about 65 miles/ 75 minutes minutes strait down the M3 and M27 motorways.

Henley-on-Thames also has numberous boat trips along the River Thames to the nearby towns of Reading and Windsor.

Get around

All locations in and around the town are walkable or drivable. During the Regatta, the Thames is teeming with classical launches, which are available for booking well in advance of events.

• The River and Rowing Museum [2], Mill Meadows (5 mins walk from town center and rail station), tel 415600, open daily 10am-5pm. Admission £2-3 - an excellent museum which charts the history of both the River Thames and rowing as a sport. The museum also houses an exhibition on "The Wind In The Willows", which is popular with children aged 5 and above - additional charges apply. The museum has a superior cafe, with seating outside in fine weather.

• Henley Royal Regatta [3] - held every summer since 1839 (except during the two world wars), the Royal Regatta is a unique five-day tournament of international rowing that draws top competitors and spectators from around the world.

• the Henley Festival of Music and Arts [4] - in the weeks following the Royal Regatta, Henley plays host to a growing music and arts festival, the calibre of the acts increasing in range and importance every year.

Buy

The town centre is a fairly typical one with most of your high street favourites.

Eat

Hart Street and Market Place, which run inland from the river at Henley Bridge are lined with restaurants, cafes and pubs.

• Catherine Wheel, Hart Street, tel 845790. One of Henley's old coaching inns, this pub now does food and drink at very reasonable prices. £7-10.

• Pizza Express [5], Market Place, tel 411448. Serves good pizzas in a building dating back to 1408. Open M-Su 11:30am-midnight. £7-15.

• Green Olive, Market Place, tel 412220. A locally owned Greek bar and restaurant which has a lively atmosphere and does good-value meze. £10-20.

• Loch Fyne [6], Market Place, tel 845780. This restaurant provides excellent (and apparently eco-friendly) seafood in an attractive environment with a separate oyster bar and (for summer) tables in the market place itself. Open M–Su 9am-10pm. £10-25.

• Antico, Gravel Hill. Authentic locally owned italian restaurant offering two courses for around £20, with friendly service and great food in a cosy and quirky buidling. Garden offers summer dining under the vines the woners use to make wine, and a private dining room upstairs can seat 17 people. Three courses with wine around £35 a head.

Drink

Angel on the Bridge, Thameside, Henley-on-Thames, Tel: 410678

The Angel has a waterside location that is hard to beat, with benches and tables alongside the Thames just by the bridge. While the drinks are fine, the restaurant has less to recommend it.

The Three Horseshoes, Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames, Tel: 573971

The Three Horseshoes is a nice old fashioned English Pub

• the Catherine Wheel, Hart Street, tel 848484. The Catherine Wheel (see above) also provides Lodge style rooms. £59 (per room).

• the Imperial Hotel [7], Station Road, tel 578678. Located in an Edwardian building near the rail station and about five minutes walk from the center of Henley, this hotel has been restored and refurbished to 3 star standard over the past few years, sympathetically keeping its many original features to ensure it retains its unique character. The rooms are small but all are en-suite. £60-£85 (standard single room); £90-£110 (standard double room); £85-£120 (executive single room); £100-£130 (executive double room); all rates include breakfast.

• the Red Lion Hotel [8], Hart Street, tel 572161. Located next to the river at the foot of Hart Street, and dating back to the fifteenth century, three kings of England have stayed at this prestigous hotel. The hotels age notwithstanding, all bedrooms benefit from en-suite bathrooms, with many rooms overlooking the river Thames and the views beyond. £110 (single room); £130 (double/twin room); £165 (four poster room); all rates include breakfast.

Contact

Phone

Henley's area code is 01491 when dialed from within the UK or +441491 from outside the UK.

Internet

There is an Internet Cafe at 2 Friday Street (01491 637888)

Stay safe

The town has a moderate amount of crime and antisocial behaviour which mainly occurs at night.

Get out

There are nice walks for people looking for challenging walks to places like Reading, Maidenhead and Windsor and are along the River Thames and there are many lighter walks for people just looking for a short pleasant walk.