Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames is a town and a small area called a civil parish. It sits beside the River Thames in the South Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. The town is about 9 miles northeast of Reading, 7 miles west of Maidenhead, 23 miles southeast of Oxford, and 37 miles west of London by road. It is close to the place where the borders of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire meet. In the 2021 census, Henley-on-Thames had a population of 12,186 people.

History

The name Henley comes from an old word meaning "high wood or clearing." People have lived in Henley since Roman times, but it wasn't written about in old records until much later. In 1199, a king gave the town to a man named Robert Harcourt. Over the years, Henley grew with markets and fairs, and even had a church. Sadly, many people died during a big sickness in the 1300s. Later, the town became known for making glass and trading goods like grain and wool.

Governance

Henley-on-Thames has three levels of local government: the Henley-on-Thames Town Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, and Oxfordshire County Council. The town council meets at Henley Town Hall in the Market Place.

Henley-on-Thames has a long history of local government. It was an important town from medieval times and received its first official charter in 1568 from Elizabeth I. Over time, the way the town was governed changed. In 1974, the local government system was updated, and the town became part of South Oxfordshire District.

Landmarks and structures

Henley Bridge is a famous five-arched bridge built in 1786, and it is very important historically. Not far from the bridge is Marsh Lock. Henley Town Hall, finished in 1900, stands out in the Market Place. Chantry House is another important building with an unusual shape. The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin has a tower from the 1500s. The Old Bell pub, located on Bell Street, dates back to 1325, making it the oldest building in the town. To honor Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 60 oak trees were planted in the shape of a Victoria Cross.

Two notable buildings just outside Henley, in Buckinghamshire, are Fawley Court and Greenlands, which is now home to Henley Business School.

Transport

Henley-on-Thames has a railway station that is the end of the Henley Branch Line from Twyford. In the past, there were direct trains to London Paddington. Today, you can take express trains from Reading to Paddington, and from High Wycombe to London Marylebone. The M4 and M40 motorways are both about 7 miles away.

Bus route 850 runs every 15 minutes between High Wycombe, Marlow, and Henley, and every 30 minutes to Reading through Wargrave and Twyford.

Notable businesses

Henley-on-Thames is home to several important businesses. The big investment management company Invesco Perpetual has its main office here.

An engineering company called Stuart Turner makes home pumps in a factory right in the town center. The watchmaker Bremont also has its base here and puts together its watches in a factory just outside the town. Additionally, Ella's Kitchen, which makes organic baby food, has its main office in Henley-on-Thames.

Education

Henley-on-Thames has several schools for children. There are primary schools such as Badgemore Primary School, Sacred Heart RC School, Trinity CE Primary School, and Valley Road Primary School.

For secondary education, there is Gillotts School. Independent schools include Rupert House School, St. Mary's Preparatory School, and Shiplake College, which is near Henley. For further education, students can attend The Henley College or Henley Business School, which is part of the University of Reading and located near Henley.

Rowing

Henley is well known around the world for rowing. Every summer, the Henley Royal Regatta takes place on a straight part of the river just north of the town. This event became known as "Royal" in 1851 when Prince Albert became its supporter. Many other rowing competitions happen here too, such as the Henley Women's Regatta and several other races.

The town has several rowing clubs, including the Henley Rowing Club, the famous Leander Club which has produced Olympic winners, and others for fun and training.

River and Rowing Museum

There was a museum called the River and Rowing Museum in Henley. It opened in 1998 and showed information about the River Thames, the sport of rowing, and the history of Henley. A special painting of the town from long ago was displayed there.

Other sports

Henley is home to the oldest football team, Henley Town F.C., which is recognized by the Oxfordshire Football Association. They play at The Triangle ground. The town also has a rugby union club called Henley Hawks that plays at the Dry Leas ground. There is a Hockey Club named Henley Hockey Club, which plays at Jubilee Park, and a Cricket Club that has played at the Brakspear Ground since 1886. In September 2016, a new club called Henley Lions FC began.

Notable people

Henley-on-Thames has been home to many famous people over the years.

Gerry Anderson, the creator of the television series Thunderbirds, lived in Henley. Sir Martyn Arbib, a leader of the Perpetual fund management company, helped establish the River and Rowing Museum in Henley. Food writer and television presenter Mary Berry also lives in Henley.

Other notable residents include comedian Russell Brand, actor Dame Gladys Cooper, and musician George Harrison, who bought and restored Friar Park in 1970. Prime Minister Boris Johnson served as the member of parliament for Henley-on-Thames. Author George Orwell spent part of his early life in the town, and singer Dusty Springfield is buried in the local churchyard.

Media

Henley-on-Thames has a local newspaper called the Henley Standard, which is also available online. Another news website, the Henley Herald, provides local updates.

Local radio stations include BBC Radio Berkshire on 94.6 FM, Heart South on 103.4 FM, and Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire and North Hampshire on 107.0 FM. You can also catch London’s Capital and Magic stations, plus a few others. Regatta Radio used to broadcast during the Henley Royal Regatta up until 2014.

Because Henley is in a TV region overlap, you can get signals from both the Crystal Palace (BBC London/ITV London) and Hannington (BBC South/ITV Meridian) transmitters. But the local relay transmitter for Henley only shows programmes from ITV London and BBC London, making Henley the only part of Oxfordshire that is part of the London TV area.

The town appeared in the 2010 American film The Social Network, where it was the location of a rowing competition between the US and the Netherlands.

Twin towns, sister cities and related localities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in England

Henley is twinned with:

• Bled, Slovenia
• Falaise, Calvados, France since 1974
• Leichlingen, Germany

And has a 'friendship link' with:

• Borama, Somaliland

In addition, several localities around the world are named after Henley, including:

• Henley, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
• Henley Beach, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
• Henley, a township on the Taieri Plain in New Zealand.