Henley - Walkers are welcome

Henley is accredited as a Walkers are Welcome town, part of a nationwide initiative, WaW launched in 2007 to encourage towns and villages to be ‘welcoming to walkers’.  This means that it is working with local partners to ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained, improved and well signposted, providing good local transport and provide top quality information on local walks and encourage accommodation to be knowledgeable about these walks and offer facilities for walkers.

The Chiltern Society maintain the footpaths which are especially well marked and hugely varied - the river - the steep chalk escarpments such as to the windmill at Turville, there’s quirky places like the Maharaja's well at Stoke Row, beech woodland, bluebells and an abundance of wildlife. Henley Town Council are also supporting a new town bus linking the station to other areas of the town and Henley is easily reached by train and bus.

What has Henley got to offer walkers?

• Two long-distance paths, the Thames Path National Trail and the Oxfordshire Way which pass through the town
• It is on the edge of the Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) and the hub of a rich network of well-marked paths
• Local town walks, both guided and self-guided, for instance Midsomer Murder Tours or The Brakspear Henley Ale Trail. Information is available at the Tourist Information Centre
• A host of cafés, hotels, pubs and B&Bs in Henley and its surrounding villages
• A variety of interesting things to do such as Hobbs of Henley boat trips, River & Rowing Museum and a visit to Stonor Park which has been in the same family for over 850 years.

The Tourist Information Centre has information on other walks and places of interest nearby.

• Greys Court National Trust have signposted estate walks  

Take a walk with ‘A Foot in the Chilterns’ you will be able to choose a walk that matches your interest and mobility from beautiful bluebell woods to riverside bird watching, including Nordic Walking.

Brakspear's Henley Ale Trail

New for 2023, the challenge to visit all 10 Brakspear Pubs in Henley-on-Thames to claim the most sought-after t-shirt in Oxfordshire, if not the world, is going digital with its world-famous Henley Ale Trail. 

Fire up the app and find a pub. You can start and finish at any pub you choose, check in, enjoy a pint of Gravity or Oxford Gold, before visiting the next pub on your trail.

You will find all the Brakspear Pubs with their opening times on the app to help you plan your trail, all packed to the rafters with their own unequivocable charm. Once the trail is completed, fill in your details on the app and your free t-shirt will be posted within 10 days. Only those pubs open that day will show on the app too!

Where to Stay

(Distances are walking distance to Henley)

• Henley Greenlands Hotel - situated at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, within the 30-acre Henley Business School estate in the Oxfordshire countryside, this magnificent Grade II Listed Building is steeped in history dating as far back as 1480. The WH Smith family purchased the House in 1871 and extended it considerably making it their country home where renovation of rooms within the main house started, which are still to this day kept to the original design. (2.6 miles from Henley)
• The Row Barge, Brakspear (central location)
• Swiss Farm Touring & Camping (0.8 miles from Henley)
• The Black Boys Inn, Brakspear (3.3 miles from Henley)
• The White Hart, Nettlebed , Brakspear (5 miles from Henley)
• Cherry Tree Inn, Brakspear (5.9 miles from Henley)