Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom
Henley-on-Thames is a town of 11,494 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Henley-on-Thames
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 66 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Conway's Bridge, Henley Bridge, Greys Court and Hannen Columbarium.
Weather in Henley-on-Thames
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Reading, 7 miles (11 km) west of Maidenhead, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Oxford and 37 miles (60 km) west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The population at the 2021 census was 12,186.
From the Wikipedia article Henley-on-Thames (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Henley-on-Thames on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Henley-on-Thames
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Things to do7
Conway's Bridge
Bridge · 1.0 mi
Bridge in Remenham, Wokingham, Berkshire, England, UK
Kenton Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
Theatre in Henley-on-Thames, England
Museums and landmarks14
Greys Court
Museum · 2.5 mi
Tudor country house in Oxfordshire, England, UK
Hannen Columbarium
Monument and historic site · 2.6 mi
Structure in Wargrave, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
River and Rowing Museum
Museum
Local museum in Henley-on-Thames, England, United Kingdom
Wargrave War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 2.6 mi
War memorial in Wargrave, Wokingham, Berkshire, England, UK
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
Henley Golf Club
Golf course · 1.2 mi
18 hole Par 70
Harpsden, Henley-on-Thames
Oct-Mar Mo-Su 09:00-16:00; Apr-Sep Mo-Su 06:00-20:30
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes66
Banana Tree
Restaurant · Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai
37 Hart Street, Henley-on-Thames
Mo-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30; Su 12:00-22:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
2 Market Place, Henley-on-Thames
Mo-Tu 06:00-19:30; We-Sa 06:00-20:00; Su 06:30-20:00
Rossetti Ristorante
Restaurant · Italian · 0.4 mi
20 Market Place
Mo-Fr 12:00-14:30,18:00-22:00; Sa 00:00-24:00; Su "lunch only"
Caffè Nero
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
44 Bell Street, Henley-on-Thames
Mo-Fr 07:00-18:00; Sa 07:30-18:00; Su 08:00-17:30
Pachangas
Restaurant · Mexican
30 Duke Street, Henley-on-Thames
Tu-Sa 12:00-14:30,18:00+
The Bull on Bell Street
Bar and pub · 0.5 mi
Pub with a Menu as good as a great Restaurant. Vegetarian & Vegan food also served.
57-59 Bell Street, Henley-on-Thames
54 more on the map.
History
The name Henley derives from the Old English hēahlēah meaning 'high wood or clearing'.
There is archaeological evidence of people residing in Henley since the second century as part of the Romano-British period. Henley does not appear in Domesday Book of 1086; often it is mistaken for Henlei in the book which is in Surrey. The first record of Henley as a substantial settlement is from 1179, when it is recorded that King Henry II "had bought land for the making of buildings". King John granted the manor of Benson and the town and manor of Henley to Robert Harcourt in 1199. A church at Henley is first mentioned in 1204. In 1205 the town received a tax for street paving, and in 1234 the bridge is first mentioned. In 1278 Henley is described as a hamlet of Benson with a chapel. The street plan was probably established by the end of the 13th century. As a demesne of the crown it was granted in 1337 to John de Molyns, whose family held it for about 250 years.
Read more of the history
The existing Thursday market, it is 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 did not 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. During the Black Death pandemic that swept through England in the 14th century, Henley lost 60% of its population. A variation on its name can be seen as "Henley up a Tamys" in 1485.
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.
Henley suffered at the hands of both parties in the Civil War. Later, William III rested here on his march to London in 1688, at the nearby recently rebuilt Fawley Court, and received a deputation from the Lords. The town's period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries was due to manufactures of glass and malt, and trade in corn and wool. Henley-on-Thames supplied London with timber and grain. A workhouse to accommodate 150 people was built at West Hill in Henley in 1790, and was later enlarged to accommodate 250 as the Henley Poor Law Union workhouse.
From the History section of Henley-on-Thames on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Henley-on-Thames
William HamiltonScottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and vulcanologist (1730-1803)Photo: David Allan, Public domain
James Lawrenceassociation football playerPhoto: John Smith/FAW, CC BY-SA 4.0
William LenthallEnglish politician (1591-1662)Photo: Unidentified painter, Public domain
Hugo BlickBritish actor and screenwriterPhoto: The Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0
Michael WebbEnglish architect (born 1937)Photo: Nancywozniak, CC BY-SA 4.0
Toby MarlowBritish composer, writer and actorPhoto: PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0- David TomlinsonEnglish actor (1917-2000)
- Nicola FairbrotherBritish judoka
- Dickie BurnellBritish rower (1917-1995)
- Simon DennisBritish rower
- Richard BoyleBritish coxswain (1888–1953)
- Adam Hart-DavisBritish scientist, author, photographer, historian and broadcaster
Born in Henley-on-Thames, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship12
Shopping15
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare4
Map of Henley-on-Thames
152 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wycombe Air Park (HYC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Reading 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Marlow 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- High Wycombe 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Wallingford 11 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Slough 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Windsor 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Sandhurst 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Sunninghill 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Thame 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Tadley 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Henley-on-Thames
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- A Class 165 unit at Henley-on-Thames station in August 2024, Mertbiol, CC0
- Henley-on-Thames railway station MMB 02, mattbuck ( category ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley-on-Thames railway station MMB 03 165104, mattbuck ( category ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley-on-Thames railway station MMB 01 165104, mattbuck ( category ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- 165119 at Henley-on-Thames railway station, Oxfordshire - October 2026, Mertbiol, CC0
- Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire - England (UK) (11953642205), Mic from Reading - Berkshire, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- Henley-on-Thames 007 Henley station (8085912293), Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 05.11.17 Henley-on-Thames 166209 (38220587071), Phil Richards from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Henley-on-thames railway station, Hertzsprung, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Henley Bridge, Nigel Homer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ShiplakeRlyBr01, Motmit, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greys Court, Dennis Jackson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hannen Columbarium, Shanghai88, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RiverRowMuseum01, Motmit, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Mary's, Fawley, Smb1001, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kenton theatre, Michael D. Turnbull, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley-on-Thames StMary WSW, Motacilla, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Temple Island Meadows 15, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley-on-Thames HolyTrinity WSW, Motacilla, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley on Thames Red Lion Hotel, Russ Hamer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Henley-on-Thames ChristChurch east, Motacilla, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hurley Chalk Pit (5), Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Henley-on-Thames - Upper Lodge In Friar Park - 20231021164346, Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, domdomegg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kravietz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, themadcabbie, CC BY-SA 4.0
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