Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames
High Street
Henley-on-Thames  Henley-on-Thames shown within Oxfordshire
Population	10,646 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference
– London	36.4 miles (58.6 km)
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
Website	Henley-on-Thames Town Council
List of places UK England Oxfordshire

Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and 7 miles north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and 7 miles west from Maidenhead. It is near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

History

The first record of Henley from 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 and manor of Henley to Robert Harcourt in 1199. A church at Henley is first mentioned 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. The street plan was probably established by the end of the 13th century.

As a demesne of the crown it was granted in 1337 to John de Molyns, 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.

[3]

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

A workhouse to accommodate 150 people was built at West Hill in Henley in 1790, and was later enlarged to accommodate 250 as the Henley Poor Law Union workhouse.^[4]

Landmarks and structures

Henley Bridge over the River Thames

Henley Bridge is a five arched bridge across the river built in 1786. It is a Grade 1 listed building. During 2011 the bridge underwent a £200,000 repair programme after being hit by the boat Crazy Love in August 2010.^[5] About a mile upstream of the bridge is Marsh Lock.

Chantry House is the second Grade 1 listed building in the town. It is unusual in having more storeys on one side than on the other.^[6]

Chantry House, next to the church

The Old Bell is a pub in the centre of Henley. The building has been dated from 1325: the oldest-dated building in the town.^[7]

To celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 60 oak trees were planted in the shape of a Victoria Cross near Fair Mile.^[8]

Just outside Henley, in Buckinghamshire, 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 Business School

Transport

Henley-on-Thames from the playground near the railway station

The town's railway station is on a branch line from Twyford. There are direct trains into London Paddington during peak hours. At other times one must change trains at Twyford. There are express mainline rail services from Reading (10 km away) to Paddington. Trains from High Wycombe (20 km away) go to London Marylebone. The M4 motorway (junction 8/9) and the M40 motorway (junction 4) are both about 15 km away. The bus service around the town is operated by Whites Coaches as routes 151, 152, 153 and 154; other routes are provided by Arriva Shires & Essex, Thames Travel and Courtney Coaches.

Well-known institutions and organisations

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.

The University of Reading's Henley Business School is near Henley.

Rowing

A race during the Henley Royal Regatta

Henley is a world-renowned centre for rowing. Each summer the Henley Royal Regatta is held on Henley Reach, a naturally straight stretch of the river just north of the town. It was extended artificially. The event became "Royal" in 1851, when Prince Albert became patron of the regatta.^[9]

Other regattas and rowing races are held on the same reach, including Henley Women's Regatta, the Henley Boat Races for women's and lightweight teams between Oxford and Cambridge University, Henley Town and Visitors Regatta, Henley Veteran Regatta, Upper Thames Small Boats Head, Henley Fours and Eights Head, and Henley Sculls. 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)
• Henley Whalers (associated with UTRC) focus on fixed-seat rowing and sailing.

The regatta depicted throughout Dead in the Water, an episode of the British detective television series Midsomer Murders, was filmed at Henley.

Other Sports

Henley has the oldest Football team Henley Town F.C. recognised by the Oxfordshire Football Association, they play at The Triangle ground. Henley also has a rugby union club Henley Hawks who play at Dry Leas.

Notable people

• George Harrison is dedicated to him.
• The American science fiction writer James Blish (1921–1975) lived in Henley from 1968 until his death.
• British engineer Ross Brawn, best known for his role as the technical director of the Scuderia Ferrari f1 team and current team principal of Mercedes Grand Prix.
• Esther Deuzeville (1786–1851), as Esther Copley later a writer of children's books and works on domestic economy addressed to the working people, lived here with her parents until her marriage in 1809. There is a plaque to her and her family in the United Reformed Church.^[10]
• French general Charles-François Dumouriez (1739–1823) is buried at St. Mary the Virgin parish church.
• 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 (1718–1776), brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough, was a pastor and inventor who lived in Henley. A blue plaque marks his house, "The Manse".
• Michael Heseltine, Baron Heseltine of Thenford preceded Boris Johnson as Conservative MP for Henley.
• Musician Liam Gallagher of Oasis and his wife Nicole Appleton of All Saints have a second home in Henley-on-Thames.
• Musician and former Friar Park, Henley-on-Thames in 1970, and lived there until his death. His widow, Olivia Harrison, continues to live on the estate.
• Politician Boris Johnson was the Member of Parliament until he resigned after being elected Mayor of London in 2008.
• Politician William Lenthall (1591–1662) was born in Henley-on-Thames. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1629 and 1640.
• Author Shiplake.
• Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł (1917–1976) is buried at St Anne's church, Fawley Court just outside Henley, where he founded the Divine Mercy College.
• Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy lives in Henley.
• Singer Lee Ryan lives in Henley.
• Broadcaster Phillip Schofield lives in Henley with his wife and two daughters.
• Financier Urs Schwarzenbach lives at Culham Court, Aston, east of Henley.
• Entrepreneur, philanthropist and workplace revolutionary Dame Stephanie Shirley lives in Henley with her husband.
• Singer Dusty Springfield (1939–1999) has a gravesite and marker in the grounds of St Mary the Virgin parish church. Her ashes were scattered in Henley and in Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher. Each year her fans gather in Henley to celebrate "Dusty Day" on the closest Sunday to her birthday (16 April).
• Sir Ninian Stephen, Australian judge and Governor-General of Australia (1982–1989) was born in Henley
• Harry Stott, joint winner of I had Do Anything and star of TV show Roman Mysteries.
• Actor David Tomlinson (1917–2000) was born and raised here.
• Actor Orlando Bloom has property in Henley-on-Thames.
• Scriptwriter Richard Curtis owns a holiday home in the parish.
• Actor Jonathan Lloyd Walker was born and raised here. He now lives in West Vancouver, Canada.
• Jonathan Bowden lived in Rotherfield Peppard (post town Henley-on-Thames) throughout the 1970s.

Twinning

Henley-on-Thames is twinned with:

• Falaise, France, since 1973
• Leichlingen, Germany, since 1979^[11]
• Borama, Somalia, since 1981^[12]

See also

• Brakspear Brewery, founded in 1779 but now moved to Witney;
• Henley Festival, held each July
• 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;

Media

Henley's Local newspaper is the Henley Standard. A Local magazine is the The Henley Magazine produced for the Town Council

BBC Radio Berkshire (94.6,95.4,104.1,104.4), Heart Berkshire (97.0, 102.9, 103.4), Reading 107 (107.0), all broadcast from Reading, serve an area including Henley, as does Time 106.6 (106.6) broadcast from Slough. Regatta Radio (87.7) is broadcast during Henley Royal Regatta.

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

Gallery

References

Further reading

• Allison, Barbara (2011). "Henley's Major Inns in the Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries".  
• Sherwood, Jennifer;  
• Townley, Simon C, ed. (2011). A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 16: Binfield Hundred (Part One): Henley-on-Thames and Environs.  
• "The Henley Guide. With fifteen illustrations". London: Hickman and Stapledon. 1826 

External links

• Henley - aerial photo
• River and Rowing Museum
• Henley Royal Regatta
• Henley Youth Festival held each March
• Henleys local bus service
• The Old Bell (oldest building in Henley)
• Henley-Leichlingen Twinning Association
• Stoke Row Chapel
• Hernes Estate

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 (Brightwell, Mackney, 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 (Littleworth) Woodcote Other civil parishes (component villages and hamlets) Adwell Aston Rowant Aston Tirrold Aston Upthorpe Baldons, (Baldon Row, Marsh Baldon, Toot Baldon) 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) Moulsford Nettlebed Newington (Great Holcombe) North Moreton Nuffield Nuneham Courtenay Pishill with Stonor (Pishill, Stonor, Maidensgrove, Russell's Water) Pyrton (Clare, Standhill) 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) Towersey Warborough (Shillingford) Waterperry with Thomley (Waterperry, Thomley) Waterstock West Hagbourne Wheatfield Whitchurch-on-Thames Wilcote Woodeaton 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

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Portal Boroughs or districts District of Cherwell City of Oxford District of South Oxfordshire District of the Vale of White Horse District of West Oxfordshire Major settlements Abingdon Banbury Bicester Burford Carterton Charlbury Chipping Norton Didcot Faringdon Henley-on-Thames Oxford Thame Wallingford Wantage Watlington Witney Woodstock See also: List of civil parishes in Oxfordshire Topics Flag Parliamentary constituencies County Council elections* Places Sites of Special Scientific Interest Places Schools Country houses Grade I listed buildings History Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums

River Thames, England Counties Gloucestershire Wiltshire Oxfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Greater London Surrey Kent Essex Source Thames Head Mouth Thames Estuary Settlements Ashton Keynes Cricklade Castle Eaton Lechlade Oxford Abingdon Wallingford Goring-on-Thames Reading Henley-on-Thames Marlow Maidenhead Windsor Eton Staines-upon-Thames Weybridge London Dartford Gravesend Tilbury Canvey Island Southend-on-Sea Major tributaries Churn Leach Cole Coln Windrush Evenlode Cherwell Ock Thame Pang Kennet Loddon Colne Wey Mole Brent Wandle Effra Westbourne Fleet Ravensbourne (Deptford Creek) Lea Darent Ingrebourne Major crossings Dartford Crossing Blackwall Tunnel Rotherhithe Tunnel Thames Tunnel Tower Bridge London Bridge Millennium Bridge Blackfriars Bridge Hungerford Bridge Westminster Bridge Teddington Lock Staines Bridge Windsor Bridge Maidenhead Railway Bridge Marlow Bridge Folly Bridge (all) Longest UK rivers Severn Thames Trent Great Ouse Wye Ure/Ouse Tay Spey Clyde Tweed Avon Nene Eden Dee

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• Henley-on-Thames
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