HENLEY-ON-THAMES

Henley-on-Thames sits at the conjunction of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire counties.  It is an ancient market town with history going back at least to the Vikings who used Henley as a trans-shipment port for goods from Thames river to sea going vessels.  Henley was also a major port for shipping beech wood to London in later times.  Henley has many old timber framed buildings - the oldest being the Old Bell Pub which dates from 1325 which has one of the finest and oldest surviving cruck-frame structures in the country.  Henley is best known today for the river and Henley Royal Regatta international rowing competition which takes place every July.  The earliest image here is of the butchers with game hanging outside (legal then) taken in December 1980.  The river wildlife is typical of this reach of the river and the Peregrine Falcon nests each year on the tower of St Mary's Church.