On the glorious and bountiful Thames river lays the ages-old burg of Henley. Dating back to the Middle Ages in the 1100s, Henley was deemed by King Henry to be a suitable place to build a town on and by 1204 the city already had a glorious church in its square. Unfortunately, Henley's age and tenure subjected the city to the worst that medieval times had to offer. In the 1300s, when the bubonic plague was at its peak, over sixty percent of the people in the town were killed. Feudal and civil wars often were the bloodiest in and around Henley, thanks to the town's important strategic port connection to London. This relationship between the two cities through the mutual waterways was bolstered forever in 1786, when the famed Henley Bridge was first erected. This beautiful erection, boasting five arches, has stood proudly ever since as a much adored edifice in the city.
Henley's location on the Thames has helped London in great ways but the end result has also been a steady supply of income for Henley. If the Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt, the Thames can be seen as the same for Henley and a large part of the city's livelihood is based on this ancient river. Rowing, for instance, is a large and important part of Henley's economy and the city is a world-renowned hub for athletes and spectators alike. Each summer the Henley Royal Regatta is held in Henley and draws thousands of upper class rowers to compete amid the rough Thames waters. This even has been enjoyed for hundreds of years by such noble competitors as the original Prince Albert. No evidence has been discovered as of yet whether or not he was in a can at the time.
Many other esteemed rowing events are held each year in Henley including many popular college rivalries between colleges like Cambridge and Oxford. The Henley Woman's Regatta is one of the largest all-woman rowing competitions in the world and it is often held on the same straight, beautiful stretch on the Thames that the Royal is. Naturally, a city so devoted to furthering the pursuit of rowing would of course have a large following that lives there and Henley is no exception. Chief among these groups is the wildly successful Henley Rowing Club, which has its headquarters near the famed Henley Bridge. The "cream of the crop", though, more often flock to the prestigious Leander Club. This organization, also upstream of the Bridge, was the training ground for many an Olympic and World Champion and it still operates proudly to this day, churning out topnotch athletes at an incomparable rate.
Henley-on-Thames has a history that is both rich and noble and, despite the many plagues and wars that the city was subject to, it is still a beautiful and enriching city filled with visceral pleasure for any and all visitors. If you are planning a trip to London, make sure that your vacation doesn't end without first perusing the fascinating streets of Henley.
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