Henley-In-Arden or Simply Henley, a Small Town in the English County of Warwickshire
The little town of Henley-in-Arden is in the Warwickshire County in England. The name of the town, which is also known as just Henley, is an allusion to the old Forest of Arden. The town is famous for its wide diversity of architectural styles that have been preserved and its collection of historic structures, several of which were built during the Medieval Times. The High Street of the town is considered a conservation area, all one mile of it.
A Brief History of Henley-in-Arden
Originally, the town was only a hamlet of Wootton Wawen on Feldon Street, the road out of the Forest of Arden. There was no mention of the town in the 1086 Domesday Book, and it is thought of that Henley must have existed starting the 12th Century since the first report about the town was in a legal document prepared during the time of Henry II.
Henley-in-Arden became a thriving market town from the time it was granted the right to hold a market at the Beaudesert Castle by Empress Matilda in 1140. It became more prosperous in 1220 after Peter the Monfort, the Lord of the Manor, obtained permission to hold a weekly Monday market and a yearly 2-day fair from Henry III. The town’s prosperity was arrested at the death of Peter de Montfort while fighting at the Battle of Evesham during the Second Baron’s War of 1265. But the castle and town recovered and in 1296 Henley became a borough.
Things to See and Do in Henley
The Beaudesert castle no longer exists, but some historical structures and buildings remain in the town. There is the medieval market cross, the parish churches of St John the Baptist and St Nicholas, the 16th Century White Swan, the restored 15th Century Guildhall and an assortment of half-timbered houses along High Street.
Hiring a boat for the day from Anglo Welsh Dayboat Hire to sail on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is one good value excursion for visitors of Henley. Whereas, at Spot on Wake, jetskiing, waterskiing, and other water sports activity are exciting experiences.