Henley-on-Thames, a market town on the River Thames, has been named Best Town in the UK at the Britain in Bloom awards this year. The recognition puts a fresh spotlight on a place residents describe as unchanged even as it keeps drawing visitors, shoppers and festival crowds.
For Philippa Harvey, who has lived in Henley-on-Thames for 28 years, the appeal is simple. “I love the fact that it doesn't really change. It's a very friendly place.”
Henley-on-Thames and Britain in Bloom
The award lands on a town with a long civic identity. Henley developed a reputation for gentility by the 18th century, then suffered a decline in the early 19th century when the railway line between London and Bristol bypassed it. The townsfolk later staged a regatta to bring back the crowds, and Henley Royal Regatta has since dated back almost 200 years.
That history still shapes how the town is used today. Christiaan Jonkers, who runs the rare books dealer Jonkers, described Henley as “popular because it is so unchanged. It's timeless in a traditional sense. A relatively quiet, Thames-side town.” Michael Redley called it “a small, Thames-side market town on a rather spectacular place on the river.”
Causton court house in Henley-on-Thames
The town’s familiarity reaches beyond the high street. The town hall appears as Causton court house in Midsomer Murders, and the local butcher's shop features in The Magician's Nephew. Henley Royal Regatta was also turned into Midsomer Regatta in Dead in the Water.
That visibility sits alongside a busy everyday economy. Shinaz Fisher-Bailey, who has lived in Henley-on-Thames for 13 years, said, “It's also very clean and tidy and good for businesses. Small businesses do really well here.”
Henley Royal Regatta and local trade
Rachel Hollinrake, who runs Asquiths Teddy Bear Shop, and Dr Redley of Henley Archaeological & Historical Group are among the people tied to the town’s present-day identity, which mixes historic character with active local trade. Hobbs of Henley has been in boating for over 150 years, another sign of how long the river has anchored business there.
The result is a market town that keeps pulling in different audiences at once: residents who value its continuity, visitors drawn by festivals and river life, and TV viewers who know its streets from Midsomer Murders. Britain in Bloom’s award puts that mix at the center of the town’s profile, and it leaves one question hanging over the winning entry: which features of Henley-on-Thames most persuaded the judges.
