Welcome to The Henley Society
Protecting our heritage and the environment in Henley-on-Thames
Our Aims
The conservation and enhancement of the town, its waterfront and its setting.
To strike an appropriate balance between housing, a vibrant town centre, the provision of employment and leisure.
The preservation of the town’s historical centre, its fine approaches and its trees.
The relief of traffic congestion with improved transport links, better car parking facilities and improvements to bus and train
What We Do
The guiding principles of the Society are the conservation and enhancement of the town, its fabulous waterfront, historic centre and fine tree lined approaches. All these combine to make Henley a unique and attractive town to both residents and thousands of visitors a year and are the essential lifeline to a thriving and prosperous town.
As a forwarding thinking Society our aim is to enhance Henley’s rich heritage, not lose it. With a membership in excess of 600 the Society is an influential voice in Henley and contributes to major planning issues and consultations. We also sponsor projects within the town such as the Heritage Project to improve signage on our wonderful Victorian terraces. We also arrange lectures and events in the town as well as visits to places of interest throughout the year.
Recent Initiatives
Our monthly News Briefings to members (sent early each month by email, or by post to those members without email) detail the many initiatives we undertake. All have a common theme – to protect our heritage and the environment in Henley-on-Thames.
As you may have read, our concentration at the moment is on improving street cleaning, the reduction in Heavy Good Vehicles using Henley as a rat-run, repairing our road and street surfaces by the removal of pot-holes, increased car parking, the elimination of graffiti, the re-opening of the Friday Street slipway for use by our many river-users both resident and visiting, and the urgent re-instatement of the Marsh Lock Horsebridge (a part of the Thames Path currently closed). We are lobbying the Environment Agency robustly on the last two.
We are always keen to hear from members of matters in Henley that cause them concern, so please do not hesitate to contact us by email or telephone, and tell us the issues. We will always listen.
Some Upcoming Events
At the inaugural meeting of the Society held in the Town Hall in December 1961 the newly-elected Chairman, Allan Punchard, said “The Society did not intend to confine itself to matters of preservation”. He emphasised the importance of members studying the problems of the locality but suggested there might be meetings of a social character.
He was true to his word and over the years there have been visits, talks, lunches and dinners, and these continue today.
Visits to places as diverse as Woodstock, Waddesden, Windsor Castle State Apartments and more recently the Commandants Parade at Sandhurst, the RAF Museum at Hendon, The House of Lords, Highclere and Strawberry Hill have been enjoyed by groups of members of varying sizes.
Recent illustrated Talks by Simon Clinton (Save Wild Tigers), the work of the Queen’s (now King’s) Swan Marker (David Barber) and life-long local resident Peter Hancock, born in New Street, who spoke about life in the town from an early age and also showed very rare film footage of the celebrations in Henley after the war, and of the first Regatta held after the war, captivated large audiences.
Our remaining talk of 2023 will be given by Oxford historian, Liz Woolley, on the generosity of Lord Nuffield on October 12th – full details, including ticketing arrangements will follow shortly, but do put the date in your diary.
Our programme for 2024 is currently being constructed and will follow a familiar pattern of visits and talks. If members have a topic on which they would like a talk, or have a special place they would like to visit, then please let a member of the Committee know and we will see what we can do.
See the Events page for a full calendar.
Temple Island, pictured, is situated in the River Thames a mile and a half downstream of Henley-on-Thames.
The History of The Henley Society
The Henley Society was formed in 1961 after a major planning application was approved by Henley Borough Council which involved the demolition of the Catherine Wheel Hotel in Hart Street and replacing this historic building with a parade of 1960s style shops.
Residents, businesses and visitors were outraged at the loss of such a significant landmark which formed an intrinsic part of Henley’s history. That the town’s elected Council should approve a scheme which would have such immense impact on the historic street scene of the town without public consultation was unacceptable. Hart Street without the Catherine Wheel façade was unthinkable and vocal opposition to this decision resulted in the formation of the Society and the saving of the Hotel.
Since then the Society has flourished and has established a sub-Committee team with considerable experience and expertise in planning matters, that regularly brings influence to bear on difficult and controversial issues.
60 years on the Catherine Wheel Hotel façade still stands proud in Henley Town Centre now with a Blue Plaque, sponsored by us, to mark the founding of the Henley Society. With an increasing and vibrant membership the Henley Society’s work is every bit as pertinent today as it was in 1961.
Photographs used on this website courtesy of Nick Richardson and Dennis Craggs
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