Everything about Henley-on-thames totally explained
Henley-on-Thames is a town on the north side of the River
Thames in south
Oxfordshire,
England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from
Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from
Maidenhead. It is located near the corner between the counties of
Oxfordshire,
Berkshire and
Buckinghamshire.
History
Henley doesn't appear in Domesday Book of 1086 often it's mistaken for Henlei in the book which is in Surrey.
The first record of medieval settlement dates to 1179, when it's recorded that
King Henry II “had bought land for the making of buildings”. King
John granted the manor of Benson and the town an manor of Henley to Robert Harcourt in 1199. A church is first mentioned at Henley in 1204. In 1205 the town received a pavage grant, and in 1234 the bridge is first mentioned. In 1278 Henley is described as a hamlet of Benson with a Chapel. It is probable that the street plan was established by the end of the 13th century.
As a demesne of the crown it was granted to John de Molyns, in 1337 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's 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 didn't 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.
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.
Henry VIII, having granted the use of the titles "mayor" and "burgess", the town was incorporated in 1568 by the name of the warden, portreeves, burgesses and commonalty.
Henley suffered from both parties in the Civil War.
William III on his march to London in 1688 rested here and received a deputation from the Lords. The period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries was due to manufactures of glass and malt, and to trade in corn and wool.
Henley-on-Thames owes much to its location and
port that supplied
London with
timber and
grain.
Structures
Henley Bridge is a five arched bridge across the river which was built in
1786. The church of
St. Mary is located nearby and features a tower built in the
16th century. About a mile upstream of the bridge is
Marsh Lock.
In the vicinity of
Henley, there are several notable private buildings:
Present day
Henley is a good base to commute to
London from for those with families who don't want to live in the city. The town has its own
railway station, with direct service into
London Paddington during peak hours. Out of peak service requires a change of train at
Twyford. In addition, there are also express mainline rail services from nearby
Reading to Paddington and
High Wycombe which accesses
London Marylebone. A short drive along the
M4 motorway leads directly into
London or to
Hillingdon for the
London Underground.
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.
Rowing regatta
Henley is a world renowned centre for
rowing, each summer holding the
Henley Royal Regatta, one of the highlights of the
social calendar of the English middle and upper classes. The regatta is held on a stretch of the river that's naturally straight. The event became
Royal in
1851. In that year
Prince Albert became the patron of the regatta.
Other regattas and rowing races are held on the same reach, including:
Henley Women's Regatta and the
Henley Boat Races for women's and lightweight teams between
Oxford and
Cambridge University, Henley Veteran Regatta, Upper Thames Small Boats Head, Henley Sculling Head, and Henley Small Boats Head. These heads often attract strong crews that have won medals at National Championships.
Local rowing clubs include:
Upper Thames Rowing Club (located halfway down the Henley Royal Regatta course)
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)
Notable people
Boris Johnson Mayor of London is the current Member of Parliament.
Dusty Springfield has a gravesite and marker in the grounds of a church in Henley-on-Thames. Her ashes were scattered in Henley and in Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher. Every year, fans of Dusty Springfield gather in Henley to celebrate "Dusty Day" on the closest Sunday to her birthday (April 16th).
The author George Orwell spent some of his formative years in Henley-on-Thames and the nearby village of Shiplake.
William Lenthall was born in Henley-on-Thames. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1629 and 1640.
Humphrey Gainsborough, brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough, was a pastor and inventor who lived in Henley; a blue plaque marks his house, The Manse.
George Harrison lived in Henley-on-Thames from the 1970s until his death in 2001. He resided in a mansion called Friar Park.
Ross Brawn a British engineer, best known for his role as the technical director of the Scuderia Ferrari f1 team.
Twinning
Henley-on-Thames is twinned with
Falaise, France, since 1973
Leichlingen, Germany, since 1979Further Information
Get more info on 'Henley-on-thames'.
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