I was made aware of this excellent local history bulletin, through reading an article on the excellent Henley Herald Site. This bulletin is produced professionally, on a world processing program, and distributed free of charge within Henley on Thames.
Here is a photo of the two bulletins I have received so far
If you want a copy of this excellent, so far free, bulletin then please do as I did and email haldari590@hotmail.com ,say the Henley Blogger recommended his bulletin to you.
I did my own local history posts back in the day – Henley Nuggets and here are some links to them
Enjoy the posts again if you have time to read them all!
Thames.Walk 134: Henley on Thames Circular…Beatles, Pudding Stones & Princess Anne
The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.08 miles (4.96km)
Time to walk: A town walk, so shops etc to look at, plus a chance to sit by the river & watch the world go by. Therefore no time limit allocated
Difficulty: Flat, easy & all on hard surfaces
Parking: There’s several car parks around the town, but be careful as some are rather pricey
Public toilets: Cafes, bars etc plus some public ones in the park by the river
Map of the route:
Henley on Thames sits on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, 23 miles southeast of Oxford & 9 miles northeast of Reading. The first record of the town dates from 1179, when it’s recorded that King Henry II “had bought land for the making of buildings”. King John granted the manor of Benson & the town & manor of Henley to Robert Harcourt in 1199
The existing Thursday market, it’s believed, was granted by a charter of King John & the existing Corpus Christi fair was granted by a charter of Henry VI. Henley suffered at the hands of both parties in the Civil War & later William II rested here on his march to London in 1688. The town’s period of prosperity in the 17th & 18th centuries was due to manufacturing of glass & malt, & trade in corn & wool. Henley on Thames supplied London with timber & grain
The town is a world-renowned centre for rowing. Each summer the Henley Royal Regatta is held on Henley Reach, a naturally straight stretch of the river just north of the town. The event became “Royal” in 1851, when Prince Albert became patron of the regatta
We did this walk, which follows the ‘Henley Trail’ a couple of weeks after the Regatta & some of the structures were still in place. Shall we go & see what the town has to offer?
Let’s Walk!
1. Our walk round Henley begins right in the middle of the town, facing the beautiful old Victorian Town Hall…
This is a real hub & there’s several good old watering holes here, two of them being ‘The Three Tuns‘ & ‘The Argyle‘
2. Probably the third building on the site, the current town hall was built in 1901 & is the only one that occupied this position. Plans for the present town hall go back to 1897, the year of Queen Victoria‘s Diamond Jubilee. Replacing Bradshaw’s building was a highly controversial decision, but HT Hare, architect of the recently completed town hall in Oxford, was appointed in 1898, & the new town hall was completed three years later
3. Walk up the left side of the Town Hall along Gravel Hill…
In the Market Place, on the right, is the Old Fire Station Gallery, which is housed in the converted fire station
Gravel Hill really does have some lovely properties, many of which date back to the early 15th century. We’ve tried to discover where the name comes from, but couldn’t find anything
4. Look out for the small public garden towards the top of the hill. You’ll notice an apple sculpture which was donated to Henley by the people of Leichlingen in Germany in 2012 to celebrate the twinning of the two towns. Leichlingen is a centre for apple & berry growing
Nearby is something we’ve never seen before…a ‘Pudding Stone’…
Puddingstone is a popular name applied to a conglomerate that consists of distinctly rounded pebbles whose colors contrast sharply with the color of the finer-grained, often sandy, matrix or cement surrounding them. The rounded pebbles & the sharp contrast in color gives it the appearance of a raisin, or Christmas pudding. There are different types of puddingstone, with different composition, origin, & geographical distribution – fascinating!
5. Further up the hill, on the right, are the ornate gates to Friar Park, a 120 room Victorian net-gothic mansion built in 1889. It was formerly owned by eccentric lawyer Sir Frank Crisp & was purchased in January 1970 by musician & Beatle, George Harrison, where he lived until his death
In early 1972, Harrison installed a recording studio in a guest suite, which at one stage was superior to the one at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. By 1974, the facility had become the recording headquarters for his company, Dark Horse Records
Harrison put the whole property up as collateral in order to fund Monty Python‘s ‘Life of Brian‘ after their original backers, EMI pulled out at the last minute. As a huge fan of the Pythons, Harrison simply wanted to get to see the film, something that his friend Eric Idle has often described as “the most expensive cinema ticket in movie history”
During Crisp’s time at Friar Park, the grounds were regularly open to the public. Following the murder of John Lennon the gates were locked & security features such as fences & video cameras were installed. Despite these measures, an intruder, Michael Abrams, broke into the residence in the early hours of 30 December 1999, attacking Harrison & his wife Olivia, leaving him with five stab wounds & a punctured lung
6. Walk back down the other side of the garden, which is West Street…
This area was once one of the poorest in the town, being frequented by destitute agricultural workers & their families. Opposite The Row Barge pub was the workhouse where people hoped to get a meal & a bed for the night. Times have changed as The Row Barge is a very nice establishment
The Row Barge is one of Henley’s oldest coaching inns. Have a look up at the pub sign. You’ll see Princess Anne being rowed up the regatta course in 1977, in a replica of a royal barge built for the film ‘A Man for All Seasons‘
7. Continue down West Street, with its great views over the town…
At the corner of Kings Road’s a fairly new bar / restaurant which could indicate that ‘The Hof’s’ in town
8. Turn left along Kings Road & then right, to find the Kings Arms Barn which started life at the very end of Queen Elizabeth’s long reign in 1601/02 as a stable to the former inn & public house. When we visited there was a lot of building work going on, so we couldn’t get a great view
9. Walk back to the main street…
This wide area lends itself to festivities &, when we were there, there was a spontaneous dancing session. Click on the ‘play’ buttons…
10. Turn left into Bell Street…
On the right’s the oldest known house in Henley, which was built in 1325 & is now occupied by ‘The Old Bell‘ pub. It was first converted into a pub called ‘The Duke of Cumberland’ in the 1760’s
11. Another of the town’s most famous establishments is slightly further down Bell Street…’The Bull‘. Local brewers, Brakspear first began brewing in the garden of 65 Bell Street. Larger premises were soon required & the brewery on Bell Street closed in 1812 & moved to New Street where it remains today, though it was converted into residential flats & a hotel in October 2002. This was when Brakspear’s brewing moved to Marston’s Wychwood Brewery in Witney, Oxfordshire
The Bull has been a pub since 1564 & was a coaching inn from 1744 to 1850 for those travelling between London & Wallingford. The walls of the pub are reputed to be over a metre thick & it’s supposedly haunted
13. New Street contains some really interesting & diverse buildings. A tablet on the wall on the right shows that the two properties known as Barnaby Cottages were built before 1582 & divided into five separate houses
Across the road’s the Kenton Theatre which was founded on 7th November 1805 on the site of an old workhouse, & is the fourth oldest working theatre in the UK. From 1813, the theatre closed & became a non conformist chapel, a school, unused for a period, a church hall & a store for theatrical scenery. It opened as a theatre again in 1935 & currently seats 240 people
14. Over the road’s two slightly wonky looking tudor cottages which date back to the 1500s. Cross & have a look at Anne Boleyn’s…
The door contains several old, blocked up keyholes. This is because in those days it was traditional for previous owners to take their keys with them when they sold the property
15. Almost next door’s the former brewery buildings of Brakspear brewing company. The brewery moved here from its Bell Street premises in 1812. In 2002 it licensed the brewing of its beers to Refresh UK, owner of Wychwood Brewery & the brewery ceased production & closed. The site was sold & part of it converted to a Hotel du Vin boutique hotel
16. Back over the road’s a late 17th, early 18th century fine property called the ‘Bishop’s House’…
Finally, at the bottom of New Street is the River Thames. A few week’s previous, it was all hustle & bustle around here with the structures for the Regatta still in place
17. Turn right & walk towards Henley Bridge. Walk through the entrance of the Red Lion Hotel into the courtyard…
The exact date this old coaching inn was built is unknown, although many people date it back to the early 1500’s when it may have been constructed to house the craftsmen building the nearby church . The earliest recorded guest was Charles I who stayed in the hotel in 1632 on his way from London to Oxford. The original Coat of Arms, painted above the fireplace in one of the rooms, has been preserved and glassed over following its discovery during alterations in 1889. These alterations included the addition of the porch upon which the effigy of the Red Lion was placed and the building of the central hall where previously an archway had led to the courtyard
Other famous guests include Dr Johnson & possibly George III. George IV is also supposed to have visited the Red Lion &, apparently on one occasion he ate fourteen chops!
18. At the rear of the courtyard’s the beautiful Chantry House…
We’ll see more of it when visiting the church shortly, but the lower part was constructed around 1400. It today acts as the church hall & is available for private hire
19. We now arrive at Henley Bridge. The current bridge replaced an earlier wooden structure, the foundations of which can be seen in the basement of the Henley Royal Regatta headquarters nearby on the Berkshire side. However, the remains of two stone arches on both sides of the river indicate the existence of an even more ancient stone bridge prior to the timber structure. This bridge has been identified by some authors as the bridge which the Romans crossed pursuing the Britons in 43AD, however it’s never been proved
The current bridge was originally designed in 1781 & cost £10,000 to build. In August 2010 it was damaged by a boat called ‘Crazy Love’ & cost £200,000 to repair
20. Across the road is one of the town’s most famous watering holes ‘The Angel on the Bridge‘, which opened in 1728. If the weather’s good there’s an excellent riverside terrace
Go through the door, turn left & have a look at the two brass plaques on the floor at the bar. They mark where Grace Kelly & Max Miller once stood. The actress visited the pub to celebrate in July 1949 when her brother Jack won the diamond sculls at Henley Royal Regatta for the second time in three years
Miller would stay in a caravan on Wargrave Road while he was appearing in Reading & would rehearse his act in the bar & observe the reaction of other drinkers. Apparently he rarely bought others a drink so when once he actually paid for a round for all the regulars the landlord had the plaque made!
21. Turn right past the front entrance of the Red Lion Hotel…
…& begin to walk up Hart Street towards the centre of the town again. On the left’s a property known as ‘The Speaker’s House’, known because it was the birthplace of politician William Lenthall. He went on to become Speaker of the House of Commons between 1629 & 1640
22. It’s time to explore the church which is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin…
It’s thought the church dates back to around 1000AD. The first recorded priest was Aumericus de Harcourt, who was granted the position following a spell as chaplain to King John. The current building can be dated to the 13th century, but there have been several additions over the centuries
The inside is well worth exploring…
23. Walk into the churchyard to see the other side of the Chantry House…
Have a look round the graveyard near the almshouses to find a memorial to singer, Dusty Springfield. Dusty lived in the town & her funeral service was held at the church in 1999. Some of her ashes were sprinkled here
24. The area around the entrance to the graveyard is also worth exploring, with its hanging garden…
…& decorative fountain that’s dedicated to Greville Phillimore, who was a curate & rector in the town
25. Continue up Hart Street passing the huge Catherine Wheel coaching inn which was a flourishing business in the 19th century. We stayed there overnight & can recommend it
At the junction turn left into Duke Street, which was once known as Duck Street as a stream populated by ducks flowed across it on it’s way to the Thames
26. On the corner with Friday Street’s the rather quirky building known as ‘Tudor House’, now an antiques & collectables shop…
Continue along Duke Street passing the attractive Gladstone Terrace on the left & stopping outside The Manse with its blue plaque to Reverend Humphrey Gainsborough who was an English non-conformist minister, engineer & inventor. He was also the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough…
As an engineer & inventor, Gainsborough made several important innovations & James Watt included may of his ideas on his steam engine. The lock, weir & footbridge at nearby Marsh Lock were also designed by him along with several other locks
The blue plaque shows that Gainsborough lived here at The Manse next door to Christ Church United Reform Church
27. Turn left into Station Road. The Great Western Railway came to town in 1814 & the grassy area on the left was once where a large train turntable was situated
At the bottom of the road, the walk arrives at the river once more, so turn left towards the bridge again. This is an attractive riverside walk with boats of all shapes & sizes moored up…
28. Turn left into Friday Street where, on the corner, you’ll find Baltic Cottage which dates back to 1478 & originally formed part of an open-hall house. Between 1944 and 1966 the house was used as the ticket office for the Henley regatta
Continue along Friday Street, turning right into Duke Street once more to arrive back in front of the Town Hall where we started this walk
So that’s our brief stroll round Henley, which only touches some of the central points. If you have time, it’s worth walking right along the Thames at the bottom of Station Road where you’ll find a rather pleasant park
A week or so back we went for a walk in the Park in Marlow. The water was encroaching on the Thames Path Path, and here are some pictures I took then.
Sir Steve Redgrave’s statue in the Park in Marlow, there is also one here in Henley on Thames in the grounds of the River and Rowing Museum if you look carefully.
I hope you enjoy the slide show above. It is amazing how many people are braving the cold conditions outside just to get out for a walk and get some sunshine during these difficult times.
On Thursday last week I took a careful, ride along the towpath towards Temple Island and back down Remenham Lane.
This reminds me of a Dr Who episode but is in fact a memorial on a tomb in Remenham Churchyard
Here is a slide show of things I observed en route. The towpath was flooded in parts so I had to dismount and paddle on the footpath. The section which is badly maintained with a slim strip of tarmac, was badly flooded by the rain. There were not many people out walking, but everyone I spoke to passed the time of day, and we all commented on how wet it was. The Remenham Road was badly flooded in parts.
The Angel on the Bridge, as many know has a boat outside which commemorates Mary Blandy
If you are not aware of the story I have pasted information from Wikipedia here, please email me at wirewaffle@hotmail.com if you think any of this is incorrect.
Mary Blandy (1720 – 6 April 1752) was an eighteenth century English murderer. In 1751, she poisoned her father, Francis Blandy, with arsenic. She claimed that she thought the arsenic was a love potion that would make her father approve of her relationship with William Henry Cranstoun, an army officer and son of a Scottish nobleman.
Mary’s parents raised her to be an intelligent, articulate Anglican woman. Her reputation in Henley, where she lived her entire life, was that of a well-respected, well-mannered, and well-educated young woman. In 1746, Mary met Captain William Henry Cranstoun. The two intended to marry in 1751. However, it was exposed that he was married to a woman in Scotland and had a child by this marriage. Cranstoun denied the validity of this marriage and made several trips to Scotland over the course of his relationship with Mary to have the marriage annulled.[1]
After months of stalling, Mary’s father, Francis Blandy, became suspicious of Cranstoun and believed that he did not intend to leave his wife. Mr. Blandy made no attempt to hide his disapproval of Cranstoun’s marriage. What happened next is unclear. Mary claimed that Cranstoun sent her a love potion (which later turned out to be arsenic) and asked her to place it in her father’s food to make him approve of their relationship. Mary did this, and her father died.[1]
The trial on 3 March 1752 was of some forensic interest, as there was expert testimony about the arsenic poisoning that was presented by Dr. Anthony Addington. Addington had done testing that would be rudimentary by today’s standards, but was quite fascinating in the eighteenth century, based on testing residue for traces of arsenic, to such an extent that Dr. Addington’s career was made. The doctor eventually became the family doctor to William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. His son was Henry Addington, future Prime Minister and Home Secretary (as Viscount Sidmouth).
On Easter Monday, 6 April 1752, Blandy was hanged outside Oxford Castle prison for the crime of parricide. Her case attracted a great deal of attention from the press. Many pamphlets claiming to be the “genuine account” or the “genuine letters” of Mary Blandy were published in the months following her execution. The reaction among the press was mixed. While some believed her version of the story, most thought that she was lying. The debate over whether or not she was morally culpable for her crime continued for years after her death . In the nineteenth century, her case was re-examined in several texts with a more sympathetic light, and people began to think of her as a “poor lovesick girl.”
Hello, I have been enjoying Henley on Thames as much as ever, but the lockdown has not presented many events that have excited me enough to blog about. I think that the snow that arrived gave us all a chance to get out and enjoy the fresh air and the magic that is snow! The only thing I dislike, and I am sure that some of you do is the ice that forms afterwards.
I have prepared a selection of snow pictures taken around the Marlow Road and Northfield End also there is a picture of the Bosley Patch shop which is a veritable source of organic vegetables etc
Please use the arrows above to view the pictures and move them along.
I have not been further than Marlow since September, and have a lot of photographs to share on my post
First a September visit to Marlow – I was pleased to see the Ice Cream boat for the first time ever. Neighbours have reported that it has come down as far as Henley at Times.
Enjoy the slide show below- and I know that this town is a popular place for people to visit from Henley – it also includes photos displayed in the gallery below – which of course are of our lovely town of Henley on Thames!
Below is a gallery of local photos I have taken since we last met on this blog
I hope you will like the pictures of Friar Park entrance. I wonder if one day I will get an invite to go inside the grounds to take photos (rather doubt that but it is worth a wish!) Also the picture on the hoarding is not complete in my photo!
We bring things right up to date with autumn leaves on Kings Road Henley
I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of interesting things on my cycle ride to Hambleden Weir today.
The pictures above cover the Henley Swim that had just finished, and views of canoes and other craft on the river. They also show the pop up cafe and restaurant.
The lock and weir were very busy as usual. It is a pity that no one bar myself was wearing a facemask.
These men know what they are doing – or I assume so by the way they roll back after capsizing. Do not step out on the weir the force of the water can kill or drown you.
I rode back along the road from the Weir, and took these final photos.
I hope you don’t find this route boring, but I always manage to see something different each time I travel along along the towpath from Henley to Hambleden
.Love Henley on Thames, but this of course is the Wokingham Side of the River! Part of the Thames Path is desperately in need of re-surfacing
I have not posted for a while, so I will get on with publishing my backlog of local pictures
A few weeks back I thought I would make another attempt to visit Shiplake and set off this time down the Reading Road. I paused to get a Sunday Paper, and notice this tractor parked up. We often see tractors and trailers in our lovely town. The wheels make me feel so small as I walk past them!
This time I managed to get reasonably close to Shiplake Lock but first took a detour of the Mill Lane there, and found part of the Thames Path locked off!
If you didn’t see the picture in the slide show above, this is a view of the weir and lock from Mill Lane. Sadly I ran out of time to venture to see it, but another day will do!
The weir from Mill Lane Shiplake
This Sunday I took a usual route down the towpath to the gate that leads to Remenham Church and Remenham Lane. I was fortunate to be cycling in between some rather nasty rain showers as well!
Below are some pictures taken last Friday in Town
Bringing things up to date – some pictures taken today
Zoom have started work on Kings Road now and the pictures started off with the less than attractive barriers and work taking place.
Love Henley on Thames, your Town and my Town too!!
I had a lovely slow ride to this magnificent river feature on Sunday.
I have included my usual slide show – it is amazing that the field nearing the lock and weir has grazing cattle in it. They were very peaceful and did not seem phased by anyone walking of cycling by.
I enjoyed the trip but found that the grasses on the bank that the cattle were browsing on triggered my asthma, but relief was supreme as I walked over the weir, it is so cooling and invigorating. Mask up, keep the 2 metre distance and go and witness this for yourself!
