About Henley

Henley-on-Thames is arguably one of the most beautiful towns in England and was recently voted by The Times as one of the best places to live in the English countryside. Henley’s riverside location, surrounded by a Chiltern landscape of wooded hills and green fields, lends itself to relaxation, long lunches and shopping. There’s a pub where Charles I drank, a Chantry house, a butcher that smokes his own meat and independent shops still offering the personal touch. Henley is a regular winner of RHS Britain in Bloom medals and the home of a well-known TV detective.

Henley-on-Thames is twinned with Falaise, Leichlingen and Bled.  We also have a friendship link with Borama in Somalia.

We are home to the Henley Royal Regatta, arguably the best-known regatta in the world. It is one of the jewels in Henley’s crown. The historic decision to establish the regatta was made in our very own Town Hall.

But it's not just beautiful, it's a town that knows how to throw a party. Henley has an international reputation for the world’s greatest rowing regatta, splashes out with the ‘joie de vivre’ of the summer arts festival and gets into the groove with '80's music festival Rewind. In fact Henley is a Town of Festivals.

Henley’s historic heart sits a few strides from the River Thames. The main street has many Georgian frontages covering older buildings and among the 300 buildings within the town designated 'of special architectural or historical interest' are St Mary’s Church, the Town Hall, Market Place and Henley Bridge.

Whether it's 10 Brilliant Things To Do, the Henley Trail, Gallery Trail, Henley Town Map or the Midsomer  - Henley's Murderous Locations leaflets are available from the Information centre in the Town Hall to provide more inspiration.

This is a town dedicated to enjoying the river. So bring a picnic, pick up a copy of The Wind in the Willows, rent a deckchair and settle for an hour or two at Mill Meadows. Or get on the river yourself,  hire a boat and join in the fun with one of the town's oldest businesses, Hobbs of Henley down on the riverside.

Transport to Henley-on-Thames

Henley By Train: There are regular First Great Western branch line services from Twyford with connections from Reading and London Paddington. Henley Station is located 5 minutes walk from the River Thames and Town Centre.

Henley by Bus: There are regular services to and from Maidenhead, High Wycombe, Reading and Wallingford.

Henley Car Club: Henley Town Council and Co-Wheels have launched a new Henley Car Club. Two cars (Toyota Yaris Hybrids) are available to book. To find out more click here. Co Wheels is a pay-as-you-go car hire scheme, with vehicles available to hire in convenient locations across the UK.

Henley by Car: The town is only 30 miles from central London and a short drive from Windsor, Reading and Oxford. It is easily accessible from the M4, M40, A4130 and A4155.

Parking in Henley: Visitors are encouraged to use the long term Car Parks at Henley Station and Dry Leas (Henley Rugby Club). The town centre and Riverside are only 5 minutes walk from these car parks. Find out more information here.

For information about Parking at Mill Meadows click here.

The Trainline can be helpful to bring together all rail, coach and other travel services into one experience and with real-time travel info on the go.

The Henley Hopper: Is the Henley Town Bus Service. For more information click here.

Henley's Regattas

Henley-on-Thames is renowned for its rowing regattas attracting competitors and visitors from across the country and around the world to the beautiful riverside town. Henley's regattas really are a wonderful way to experience the beauty of the Thames and the spectacle of the British at play.

Henley's Murderous Locations

Henley-on-Thames is known around the world for the Royal Regatta, yet it is seen more often on TV screens in over 100 countries as one of the locations for the fictional county of Midsomer in the classic show Midsomer Murders, known in much of the world as Barnaby.

Fans of Detective Barnaby will recognise many of the filming locations within the town and surrounding villages from their appearances in numerous episodes.

Centrally located with all the facilities you would expect in a thriving market town, Henley is an ideal base for an extended stay in Midsomer.

Henley Town of Festivals

This is a town that enjoys a party and has more events to enjoy than anywhere else in the region. From the worlds' greatest regatta to an internationally renowned arts festival Henley offers something that everyone can enjoy.

Great Location & Amenities

Henley-on-Thames is a pretty riverside market town on one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Thames. The town’s prosperity goes back to the 12th century as river trade developed. Its position gave rise to Henley Royal Regatta, first held in 1839 as a local festival but now an internationally renowned competition. Rowing and the river are celebrated at the world class River and Rowing Museum.

Henley is bounded by the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It offers many opportunities for the visitor including golfing, boating, walking and cycling, and beautiful stately homes such as Stonor and Grey’s Court.  The food offer is varied and includes many cafes and restaurants offering a range of delicious food. Phyllis Court and Leander Club are prestigious member clubs and provide great accommodation offers.

Henley has good schools and a community hospital. Henley has its own railway station with links to London Paddington in under an hour. There is a good bus service with three buses per hour linking Henley with Reading, High Wycombe and Wallingford, with the option to connect onward to Oxford. It is only five miles from the M4, 24 miles from London Heathrow and 38 miles from Central London.

A Little Bit More History

It is known that by the early 1500’s the town extended along the west bank of the Thames from Friday Street at one end to the Manor, now Phyllis Court at the other, and that Hart Street and New Street existed. Bell Street and the Market Place were also in existence by this time.

Henley was ‘incorporated’ in 1568 once use of the titles of ‘mayor’ and ‘burgess’ had been granted by King Henry VIII.

In 1688, the soon-to-be King William III stayed at the then newly-built Fawley Court on his way to London during the 'Glorious Revolution'. Fawley Court was designed by Christoper Wren and its gardens were subsequently landscaped by Capability Brown.

Henley prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the manufacture of glass and malt, and the trade in corn and wool. From Henley, London was supplied with much of its timber from the Chilterns and grain from the rich agricultural land since the river provided relatively easy transport at that time. Henley had its own workhouse built in 1790 for 150 people in West Street. This was later enlarged and became the Henley Poor Law Union workhouse.

The current five arched and distinctive bridge was built and opened in 1786, and the tower of St Mary’s Church nearby dates back to the 15th Century. Even older than this it is believed that the Old Bell in Bell Street was built in 1325, the oldest known building still in existence in Henley.

Of Other Fame & Fortune

In more recent times the town has become used as a location for many films and TV series, in particular the Midsomer Murder series and there are now guide books for those brave enough to visit the locations of some of the more sinister murders! The singer Dusty Springfield lived in Henley, as did the Beatle George Harrison and writerGeorge Orwell. Present famous residents of Henley and the villages around include Phillip Schofield  and Liam Gallagher, and Orlando Bloom has a property in the town. Famous former MPs for the town include Michael Heseltine and Boris Johnson.