Henley Royal Regatta is the most prestigious regatta in the world. It is the highlight of the summer rowing calendar and the social season in the UK.
Visited by more than 300,000 people each year, Henley Royal Regatta boasts over 300 races across six days of elite sporting competition.
Henley Regatta was first held in 1839 and has been held annually ever since, with the exception of the years affected by the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally staged by the Mayor and people of Henley as a public attraction with a fair and other amusements, the emphasis rapidly changed so that competitive amateur rowing became its main purpose. The Regatta took place on a single afternoon but proved so popular with oarsmen that the racing lasted for two days from 1840.
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a 13th century market town and one of the most beautiful towns in England. The town was recently voted by The Times as one of the best places to live in the countryside, and, regularly wins Britain in Bloom medals.
The River Thames runs along the edge of the town, along the Oxfordshire/Berkshire border, and the Henley Reach is one of the most picturesque stretches of the River Thames.
The town itself has many excellent cafes, restaurants, and public houses, +and enough shops to keep you busy, with plenty of independent and larger retailers.
The area is also home to several highly successful rowing clubs, including Henley, Upper Thames and Leander Club, which boasts an unsurpassed record in rowing achievements.
Henley has a local independent cinema and theatre and is home to the award-winning River & Rowing Museum, one of the UK’s leading independent Museums. The Museum opened in 1998 to celebrate the River, the international sport of Rowing, and the town of Henley-on-Thames.
River & Rowing Museum
River & Rowing Museum celebrating 25 years. The Museum opened in 1998 to celebrate the River, the international sport of Rowing and the town of Henley on Thames. Designed by renowned architect David Chipperfield, this was his first museum design, and won Royal Fine Art Commission Building of the Year 1999. Since then, its inspirational spaces have enabled the Museum’s communities to immerse themselves in the art and stories of the River Thames through learning events, exhibitions, and hands-on holiday activities. The Museum’s collection includes some 35,000 items.
Visitors can also find out more about the world’s first Rowing Museum that was set up in Henley for the 1948 Games, a fitting precursor to the existing museum. Objects on display will include Sir Steve Redgrave’s historic five gold medals, souvenirs bought by spectators and a Relay torch from the 1948 Games.
The town of Henley is known worldwide for its rowing heritage and is the only venue to host rowing at the Games twice, first in 1908 and then again in 1948. Despite a change in regulations which means that Henley will not host the rowing again, the area’s deep sporting roots remain with strong connections to the Games.
The Games at Henley
The Games at Henley exhibition explores over a century of sporting legacy in Henley-on-Thames, from the 1908 Games to Paris 2024! You can see Sir Steve Redgrave’s historic five gold medals, watch interviews conducted by local schoolchildren with world-famous Olympians and Paralympians, and so much more.
The Games at Henley exhibition explores over a century of global competition and looks ahead to Paris 2024 in the historic setting of Henley-on-Thames. The exhibition will examine both the 1908 and 1948 Games, the people who made it possible, and the legacy the Games have had for the modern Olympians and Paralympians who call Henley home.
Explore incredible individual stories through a community of current and retired Olympians and Paralympians who represented Team GB in Rowing, including Sir Steve Redgrave CBE, Naomi Riches MBE, Vicky Thornley, Alan Campbell, James Fox MBE. Interviews were conducted by local young people from The Langley Academy Trust who spoke to these athletes about why Henley is so important to the sport, and their lives.
This exhibition is not just a look back at the past but a celebration of the ongoing spirit of the Games and the community that supports it. Join us at the River and Rowing Museum to witness the enduring legacy of the Games and feel the excitement build as we look towards the future of rowing in Paris 2024.
Discover the home of many sports games - Health Fitness Travel Guide England
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