The riverside town of Henley on Thames in South Oxfordshire is picture perfect no matter the season.
In the Spring, the town lays down a carpet of fresh, spring flowers; from pansies and daffodils to bright red tulips, for the visual delight of its inhabitants and its many visitors.
When Summer strikes, the town becomes a wash of colour with strings of bunting across every street, a sea of bright, colourful blazers and fancy hats, beautiful dresses, boats galore and lots and lots of handsome rowers. Summer is the season of rowing, and for Henley this means only thing – the Royal Regatta.
Autumn brings a selection of rich and decadent gold, orange and brown hues, which offer a change of colour to the banks of the river Thames, and heralds the onset of those crisper colder mornings which wave goodbye to the blues and greens of those long summer days.
And Winter in Henley is captured best by those atmospheric scenes where the mist hangs over the river valley and the silence of the early morning is broken by the muffled sounds of the oars as the dedicated rowers keep to their regular outings up and down the regatta course.
Having grown up in Henley, I know that there is more to this town than just the extravagance of the Royal Regatta and the relatively new Henley (Art and Culture) Festival. Throughout the rest of the year, the town is picturesque and quiet – an ideal place to sit and people watch. It is also a fantastic hub for boutique shopping!
A few weeks ago, right in the midst of autumn, I took a trip to Henley with the boyfriend for a peaceful Sunday stroll and to try out a little tea room we had had our eyes set upon for quite some time!
At the heart of Henley is the charming old Market Square.
This central area, apart from housing the Town Hall also provides many a coffee shop as well as great restaurants, ranging from Chinese, to rustic Italian and even Portuguese cuisine!
Henley is also home to a vast number of independent stores provide a unique boutique shopping experience, with many one-off pieces and vintage bargains.
After a good look in the shops, we made for the river. It was a beautiful sunny day and the array of small boats were on the river sailing by, with their ‘crews’ wrapped up snugly and warm.
Winding our way along the Thames path, we admired the many gorgeous houses on both sides of the river with their individual facades as well as the riverside pubs and moored craft. How the other half live!!
Finally, feeling a little chilly, it was time for a treat. About a year ago, a quaint looking tea shop opened on one of the town’s main thoroughfares. As I’m sure you know by now, and being a good Brit, I am a big fan of a nice cuppa (plus a slice, or two, of cake) so having resisted a trip inside this new establishment for over a year (quite a feat!) it was time to indulge and tickle those taste-buds.
What better a day to sample some delicious pastry, a slice of cake or gateau! We entered the shop and found ourselves in a room filled with many different varieties of tea, which would satisfy most connoisseurs, and then carefully climbed the narrow staircase up to the first floor where the tea room is located. Just as I had imagined, the room was furnished with an eclectic mix of higgledy-piggledy fittings and the tables were decked out with pristine white table clothes and wonderful miss-matched china teacups and plates. The tea was served properly in teapots and our scones were lovely and warm – perfect for an autumn afternoon!
The day was quickly drawing to a close as was our trip to Henley. Once again our day out had shown me that you can have just as much fun (re)exploring places local to your home-base than trips to far-flung destinations (albeit without the balmy? weather)
Henley, you remain my jewel on the river! Until next time <3
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Other posts that may help you:
- What to do in Henley on Thames
- The Cheese Shed Nettlebed: Visiting the Nettlebed Creamery
- Days Out in Southern England
- Greys Court in the Spring | Oxfordshire
Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the post! If you have any questions about Henley OR Oxfordshire in general please do get in touch in the comments below.
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Happy exploring,
Love Victoria X
