Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire travel guide and information

Visit Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames is a town located about half way between Maidenhead and Reading, to the west of London in the county of Oxfordshire.

The popularity of Henley is ensured primarily by the number of ancient buildings it contains and by its position on the River Thames - combined these make the town a scenic place to visit, and to take a promenade along the river banks.

The centre of Henley-on-Thames is focussed around the arched stone bridge that crosses the river here (built in 1786 to replace a much older wooden bridge), and the Church of Saint Mary, in part dating from the 16th century. Close to hand the oldest building in Henley is a pub called The Old Bell, reputedly dating from 1325.

Henley River and Rowing Museum

As a complete contrast be sure to visit the river and Rowing Museum in Henley, for the building itself as much as the rowing museum - it is in a modernist wooden clad building in a setting by the river and surrounded by trees (it won a Building of the Year Award in 1999, soon after it opened).

The museum itself tells the stories of Henley, the Thames and rowing - all three are closely interlinked in the town, due to the famous Henley Regatta, held on and before the first weekend in July each year.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Oxfordshire guide and the Oxfordshire guide.