Henley-on-Thames Walks

The popular market town of Henley-on-Thames has a number of excellent waymarked trails to try. The riverside town is a very pretty place and home to the famous Henley Regatta. The rowing event takes place every year over the first weekend in July. Look out for the Grade I listed Henley Bridge as you make your way through the town. The five arched bridge across the river thames was built in 1786. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin dates from the 16th-century while the The Old Bell dates from 1325. The town can be accessed by train from Twyford and there are direct trains from London Paddington in peak hours.
This long circular walk makes use of the Thames Path, the Chiltern Way and the Oxfordshire Way to take you on a tour of the countryside surrounding the town. These three long distance footpaths all pass close to the town. They are a good way of exploring the area as they are waymarked and of a good quality.
The walk starts in the town centre near the river and follows the Thames Path south to Bolney Court. This section passes Park Place, Marsh Lock weir and Ferry Eyot island. Here you turn west along the Chiltern Way and head towards the village of Binfield Heath via Harpsden Wood. You then turn north and head past the woodland of the BBC owned Crowsley Park estate. From the public footpaths there are views of Crowsley Park House, a Grade II listed 18th century mansion house.
After leaving Crowsley Park you continue north to the splendidly named Rotherfield Peppard village. Here you will find the lovely Peppard Common which has nice walking trails through woodland, lowland heath and grassland.
The walk continues through the fringe of Nettlebed Woods before turning south along a section of the Oxfordshire Way. This takes you past the villages of Bix and Middle Assendon before coming to Henley Park. Shortly after you return to the town and the finish point.

Henley-on-Thames Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Henley-on-Thames Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Henley-on-Thames OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Henley-on-Thames Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Angel on the Bridge is a pub of some note and welll worth some investigation. It's located in a great spot next to the river and has a nice outdoor terrace with fine views to enjoy with your meal. Inside there's a charming interior with original beams and a cosy fireplace. The pub also has an interesting history dating back to 1728. With its fine architecture and riverside location it's one of the most photographed and painted pubs in England. You can find the pub at postcode RG9 1BH for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The country, woodland and riverside trails make for a lovely walk with your dog. The Angel on the Bridge mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

To continue your walking in the area try the Henley via Stonor Circular Walk. This long walk explores the woods and countryside to the north west of the town. The walk also visits the splendid Stonor Park. The park has been the Stonor family's residence for 850 years making it one of the oldest family homes still lived in today. There's wonderful gardens and parkland with resident deer to see here.
Just a couple of miles north west of the town you'll find the National Trust's Greys Court. There's some lovely walks around the estate which includes a 16th century mansion, woodland and tranquil gardens.
Also of interest are the picture postcard villages of Fingest and Turville. The scenic nature of these historic villages has lead to them being used as a filming location for many films and tv series. In Fingest you'll find a 12th century church with a particularly noteworthy saddleback roof which is one of only two such designs in England. There's also a splendid 18th century pub just opposite the church. Turville is well known for its picturesque windmill which was used in the 1967 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when it was cosmetically restored for filming.
Just to the east of Marlow is the neighbouring village of Little Marlow. Here you can explore the wildlife rich Spade Oak Nature Reserve and visit the historic 14th century church and 16th century pub.
For cyclists the town makes a good entry point for the epic Chilterns Cycleway. The signed circular trail runs for about 170 miles through the Chilterns AONB on quiet country lanes, visiting a series of delightful villages.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Oxfordshire Walks and Chilterns Walks pages.

GPX File

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Memory Map Route

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