England – Henley-on-Thames (En)

Henley-on-Thames is a town on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, 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 the ’80s music festival Rewind. The main street has many Georgian frontages covering older buildings of special architectural or historical interest.

Where to stay

We stayed at Swiss Farm International (Marlow Road, next to the Rugby ground) in one of the caravan sites we became members of. We paid 17 pounds a day including loading and unloading water. 5 minutes walk from the centre and the river. It’s a huge field so there’s plenty of room. And we met Gary and Stewart, the Scots who told us about these places, who parked next to us!

What to see

The historic heart of Henley is located just a short walk from the River Thames. The main street has many Georgian facades covering older buildings and among the 300 buildings within the city designated as “of special architectural or historical interest” is St Mary’s Church which we were able to see inside, the nave being the oldest part in the stone church, which dates back to the 13th century, the Town Hall, Market Place and Henley Bridge.

This is a town dedicated to enjoying the river, so we took a walk along the banks of the Thames enjoying the views, the ducks and the rowboats.

What to eat

It was Ben’s birthday and the locals advised us to eat at Pub The Angel, which is on the river bank with incredible views, and that’s where we went. We decided to share two pies, a steak pie and a chicken and leek pie, both came with chips and peas. They were both delicious! I love pies, especially chicken and mushroom pie.

The next stop is the Midlands, where we visited Leamington Spa on the winding River Leam, it’s known for its Regency architecture and broad boulevards, which you can see in the next post!