Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames offers a compact but well-chosen range of places to stay, suited to weekend visitors, regatta-goers and those touring the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Hotel du Vin, set in a converted 19th-century brewery a short walk from the bridge, combines characterful rooms with a French-leaning bistro, while The Relais Henley occupies a Georgian townhouse close to the river and market place, giving a boutique feel within easy reach of the shops and towpath. Traditional coaching inns such as The Bull on Bell Street and riverside pubs including The Angel on the Bridge also offer rooms above the bar, putting guests right in the thick of the town's Georgian streets. Beyond the centre, a scattering of guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and small hotels can be found along the approach roads and in nearby villages such as Shiplake and Rotherfield Greys, useful for those who want a quieter base with easy access to Henley itself. Because demand spikes sharply around the Royal Regatta and Henley Festival in late June and early July, rooms in the town centre are booked out and priced at a premium many months ahead, so visitors planning a trip around those dates should reserve as early as possible. Outside regatta season, availability eases considerably and Henley makes a relaxed base for exploring the river, the Chiltern Hills and nearby towns such as Marlow and Reading, with most hotels and inns within comfortable walking distance of the station, the bridge and the River & Rowing Museum.

Henley packs a surprising amount into a small footprint, from its rowing heritage to gentle river walks and nearby Chilterns scenery.

• Henley Royal Regatta — the town's best-known event, held every year in late June/early July since 1839, draws international rowing crews and spectators to a mile-long course on the Thames.
• River & Rowing Museum — an award-winning riverside museum at Mill Meadows with galleries on rowing history, the Thames and the town itself, plus a permanent walk-through exhibition based on Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows.
• River Thames towpath walks — the path along Henley Reach, past boathouses and moored launches to Temple Island and beyond, is one of the prettiest stretches of the Thames Path.
• Henley Bridge and St Mary's Church — the elegant 18th-century bridge, decorated with carved keystones of Old Father Thames and Isis, sits beside the flint-and-stone tower of the parish church.
• Georgian high street and market place — Hart Street, Duke Street and the Market Place are lined with Georgian and older facades, independent shops and the columned Town Hall.
• Chiltern Hills and Stonor Park — minutes from town, beech-wooded hills rise towards Stonor Park, a historic house and deer park that has been the seat of the Stonor family for centuries.
• Henley Festival — a summer festival of music and arts held on the river shortly after the regatta, with floating stages and evening fireworks.

Henley's dining scene reflects its riverside, well-to-do character, mixing historic pubs with contemporary bistros. The Angel on the Bridge, dating from 1728, sits right beside the Thames with timber beams and a terrace looking over the water, while The Bull on Bell Street is a 1500s coaching inn serving modern British food alongside its own home-brewed ales. Shaun Dickens at The Boathouse offers relaxed bistro dining with a seasonal, river-facing menu, and Bistro du Vin at the Hotel du Vin serves classic French dishes such as coq au vin and bouillabaisse. Coppa Club, in the heart of town near the theatre and cinema, is a popular spot for all-day dining and drinks, and out towards Stonor the Golden Ball gastropub makes the most of local produce in the Chilterns valley setting. Independent cafes and tea rooms around Hart Street and Duke Street add plenty of options for a lighter lunch or coffee stop.

Henley-on-Thames sits at the meeting point of the Thames Valley and the Chiltern Hills, and while there is no legal wild camping in England without a landowner's permission, the wider area has a good choice of proper campsites and glamping sites within a short drive of the town. The terrain ranges from level water meadows beside the river, ideal for family-friendly caravan and camping parks, to steep beechwood hills and chalk downland further into the Chilterns, better suited to walkers and cyclists looking for a quieter, more rural pitch. Several sites in the surrounding villages combine easy access to the Thames towpath with the calm of farmland and woodland settings, and many now offer glamping options such as bell tents, shepherd's huts or pods for visitors who want the countryside experience without bringing their own kit.

The best camping season around Henley runs from late spring through early autumn, broadly April to September, when the ground is drier underfoot and the long evenings suit riverside barbecues and walks up into the hills. High summer, particularly the period around the Royal Regatta and Henley Festival in late June and early July, sees a sharp spike in demand for anywhere within reach of the town, so sites fill quickly and it pays to book well ahead if a visit is timed around those events. Outside that window, the Chilterns offer some of the best autumn colour walking in southern England, and campsites tend to be considerably quieter.

Given the changeable nature of the English weather even in summer, a good waterproof tent or a canvas bell tent with proper groundsheet is worth the investment, and campers should be prepared for the Thames Valley's occasional heavy rain and the chance of low-lying pitches becoming damp after wet spells. Glamping sites in the area increasingly offer wood-burning stoves, proper beds and sometimes hot tubs, making them a comfortable option for a shoulder-season break when a standard tent might feel a stretch. Whichever option is chosen, Henley's combination of river, market town and rolling Chilterns countryside makes it a satisfying base for a camping trip that mixes gentle towpath walks with more demanding hikes into the hills.