Maps
Right Bank, unfortunately the boatyard here and the Camping Exhibition (shop) burnt down in 2004 and the slipway is no longer in use.
Salter’s Steamer landing
Left bank
Henley Rowing Museum
Left bank
Henley Rowing Club, Right bank
STROKE
Why did I row in a pair?
Why wasn’t I sooner beheaded?
Why is Bow’s oar in the air,
While mine in the mud is embedded?
Why is his language so rank?
Bargees might hear it and quiver.
Why must he make for the bank?
Why can’t he stick to the river?
BOW
Difficult ‘tis to discern
Why o’er the stretcher Stroke lingers.
Why does he bury the stern,
And bark on the gunwale my fingers?
Why made that coach such a row? --
His cox at the game isn’t handy:
Why am I now at the “Plough,”
Drinking hot water and brandy?
THE IMPARTIAL OBSERVER
Here’s an infallible tip
For all who would go a-light-pairing:--
Smartness and watermanship
Move a boat faster than swearing.
Whether at stroke or at bow,
Drop all that snapping and sneering;
And don’t think your mate such a cow,
Because you mismanage the steering.
Pair Oar, 1888
1871: Solomon's Hatch, the swimming place on the right bank, was fenced around.
1881: George Leslie -
Solomon’s
hatch is reached on the Berks shore, where there is a good bathing-place.
I never could find out who the particular
Solomon was that the place is named after, and I know of no hatches or little
sluices here, but the bathing-place is a capital institution for Henley; the water
is clear and the bottom sandy. Between
the hours of 11 and 1 in the morning it is reserved for ladies only, and I am
glad to say a good many avail themselves of this opportunity of learning the
art of swimming; the bathing-place is in
a backwater, separated from the main stream by a long eyot, and I believe
during the ladies’ hours quite safe from intrusion.
The stream here is sharp,
as is always the case just below a weir, and the punting very good, the water
nowhere being of any great depth; just
at Henley Bridge, as there are some very deep holes, the punting is awkward
without an intimate knowledge of the bottom, but from the railway station up to
the lock this is everywhere of a convenient depth.
In
punting up, it is best to pass to the left of the eyot, in front of the
bathing-place, if not during the ladies’ bathing hour, as the distance is
considerably shorter this way, and the punting easier;
you also avoid annoying any bank fishermen
who may be along the tow-path. These men
are mostly Londoners, who come down on Saturdays and Sundays in great numbers
during the fishing season, with small square boxes or baskets, on which they
sit; they are very liable to become
abusive when disturbed, as they generally have heavy bets on the weight of fish
they catch. They are often a great
nuisance to the punter as he is to them, as in case the side they are on is the
best one for punting, on account of wind or stream, it is very hard to be
expected to turn out into the deep water;
they fail to perceive this difficulty, and are generally lavish with
slang abuse, which if you have ladies with you is by no means pleasant.
I never take the banks where these men are
seated if I can avoid it, but occasionally there is no help for it;
the tow-path from Henley to Sonning is a favourite resort of these anglers,
and on Sunday evening the
platform at Twyford Junction is quite crowded with them on their return to
town.
[ Fishermen, in general, no longer use this stretch,
there are too many moored launches and narrow boats. ]
1878:
Below Marsh Mills with Henry Taunt by Henry Taunt. An especially precious photograph
because the character leaning on the gate is Henry Taunt himself -
Below Marsh Mills with Henry Taunt by Henry Taunt, 1878
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive;
At the end of the eyots is a wide section as one approaches Marsh Lock. There can be difficult currents below Marsh Lock and the layby is not the easiest on the Thames.
(Upstream to MARSH LOCK)
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS