Travels in my neighbourhood: Henley on Thames

I decided to write a blog about Henley because I drove there spontaneously on a sunny afternoon and was so heartened to find it was busy despite the pandemic. After visiting Windsor recently and finding it dead on its feet, I felt a huge sense of relief. Yes, we all want to stay safe, but we can’t let coronavirus destroy our way of life.

Henley is a beautiful market town on the banks of the river Thames, straight out of a chocolate box. The kind of place that Americans sigh over, because it’s just so darned pretty. Not that many US citizens are venturing to the UK at the moment…

I park a little way out of town at Mill Lane (a) because it’s free – this is the main reason I admit, and (b) because I can then walk along the Thames enjoying the views of water, boats and summer homes. There are plenty of other people strolling the banks or sitting and enjoying the vista on a lovely afternoon.

The existence of a settlement here was first recorded on 1179, and a charter to hold a market was granted by King John soon afterwards. The market square sits in front of the imposing Town Hall, opened in 1901 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. There’s a market going on today, just as they have for hundreds of years, and I’m really glad to see that.

Predictably, because of the famous regatta, much of the focus in Henley is on the riverfront, with it’s grand buildings, boats and waterfront promenade. The Henley Royal Regatta was established in 1839 and takes place every year over 5 days in late June and early July. The regatta is part of the social season with strict dress codes and celebrity spotting galore, all of which gives the town an upper crust allure.

The Henley Bridge crossing the Thames dates from 1786 but this has been a crossing point since ancient times, and the first recording of a bridge here was in the 12th century. St Mary’s Church sits at the western end of the bridge, next to the old Red Lion coaching Inn and then Hart Street continues into the commercial heart of town.

St Mary’s has a few claims to fame. Apparently the churchyard is haunted by the ghost of Mary Blandy, who was hanged in 1752 for poisoning her father. On a slightly more cheery note, each April fans of Dusty Springfield celebrate Dusty Day here, where her ashes were scattered.

The centre of town is lively today. Most of the shops seem to be open, and there are even some queues outside. I’m not here to buy, but I have to admit I’m tempted by some of the more individual businesses. Henley has more than its fair share of independent shops sprinkled around town. Hurrah! Shoreditch on Thames (see below) is probably pushing things a bit too far though.

Henley is a small place and the backstreets merit exploration as there are some interesting and quirky buildings. The Brakspear Brewery buildings in New Street are one such example. Beer was made here in Henley from 1711 to 2002 when the company sold the license to brew its beers. Part of the old brewery is now a Hotel du Vin – no doubt Mr Brakspear is turning in his grave. There are still 10 Brakspear pubs in Henley, which constitutes quite an impressive pub crawl if you’re so inclined. If the husband was with me, I might be tempted.

Opposite the old brewery is the Kenton Theatre, founded in 1805, which makes it the fourth oldest in the UK. It’s closed at the moment, obviously, due to the pandemic, but the website states an intention to open in Autumn 2020. Let’s hope so.

Henley has around 300 listed buildings of architectural or historic interest, so you don’t have to walk far to spot them. There are beams, bays and window boxes galore. It’s no wonder that average house prices in the town are more than three times the UK average of £240,000. Happily, looking around is free, particularly if you use my recommended car park.

I’ve rhapsodised before about the joys of strolling around a market town in sunny weather, but really it can’t be beat. I’m feeling very content right now. All that’s missing is a fellow explorer so we could go and enjoy a G&T at a table overlooking the river. Next time!