Wargrave Local History Society

THE growth and modernisation of Henley in Victorian and Edwardian times was the subject of Dr Michael Redley’s presentation to Wargrave Local History Society.

Michael is chairman of the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group.

The most obvious example of civic pride that was created by the transformation of Henley was the building of a new town hall — the laying of the foundation stone taking place in 1899.

There were, though, many other buildings in and around Henley that date from the 1870s to the 1900s that were built to the grandest and most stylish designs of the period, made to the state of the art at the time. Examples including Lenthall House, on the corner of Greys Road and Reading Road, or the former Barclays Bank in Hart Street, which towered over the neighbouring earlier properties.

On the corner of Duke Street and Hart Street, the new building was a branch of W H Smith, the newsagents, which was topped with an elegant pediment. No doubt the manager ensured it ran like clockwork, as the owner of W H Smith was Lord Hambleden, who lived nearby, and so might appear unannounced at any time. Lord Hambleden largely paid for the new town hall, for which the architect was Henry Hare. It officially opened in 1901.

The old town hall had stood on the same site and its lath and plaster construction had been described as a disgrace to the town. Despite that, the man who had the task of demolishing it ensured that it still exists.

Not surprisingly, the major employers at this time were the building trades but, in earlier times, Henley was essentially a transport hub. In the medieval period it was an inland port on the River Thames, handling rural produce to be sent on to customers by boat, while the main turnpike road coming down Remenham Hill and across Henley Bridge brought trade to several large coaching inns.

However, the local economy was in for a shock in 1857, when the railway arrived in Henley, and the local travel pattern changed from river and road to rail.

One result of this was to extend the size of the town, particularly towards the south (the land on the north side being owned by country gentry). In particular, the land around what are now St Mark’s Road and St Andrew’s Road was snapped up to create villas for the growing population.

A little later, the area around Reading Road was developed, all creating housing of typical Victorian style. These new housing areas also introduced a modern system to deal with sewage. Even in those days, the sanctity of the royal regatta was important, and so discharging the waste into the river was unacceptable.

The solution was to use a source of compressed air to pump the sewage up the hill for treatment. It was a method that enabled the town to grow and, although there was a cost in building the system, this was offset by the greater income in borough rates.

At the same time as the increase in residential property, there was an upgrade in the provision of religious buildings. This included the doubling of the seating available at Holy Trinity Church, new Wesleyan and Baptist chapels, while the Friends Meeting House for Quakers was rebuilt on its existing site.

Most striking was the Congregational church in Reading Road, which opened in 1908 to replace an 18th century chapel.

The Town Corporation had believed that by introducing the regatta, they would enliven the town. However, most people who came to Henley would go direct from the railway station to the Regatta site — as many still do.

Much of the work available in and around Henley was provided by the great landed estates, places like Greys Court, Park Place, Joyce Grove and Friar Park but these houses tended to be closed up in winter.

Living conditions were no better for the agricultural workers, who lived in insanitary conditions, with the wells for drinking water being alongside the privy — leading to the spread of disease. The soup kitchens provided by the Corporation during the winter months were a lifeline to these families.

Meeting places for working men were the local public houses, of which Henley had at least 60.

Until the 1860s, the Corporation had been controlled by men of the local landowning class. However, when a Local Board was set up to administer the town, they began to address these problems. One proposal that was supported by William Coates, Mayor of Henley for 1888-9, was to introduce factories, as those would provide year-round employment.

Another idea was to improve the railway connections to the town, providing both employment and travel opportunities for commuters. To achieve that, it was planned to link the Henley branch line to that at Marlow by diverting the railway at Henley to cross over the River Thames and pass through a tunnel near the foot of Remenham Hill.

That idea scared not only the local landowners but also the rowing lobby. In the end, neither the factories nor a new railway was built.

The Corporation decided instead to encourage the use of Henley as an inland resort, and as a pleasant residential area for commuters.

Mayor Charles Clements, who had been born in Henley’s West Hill, where his father was a publican and shoemaker.

Clements, who became a builder, along with other local building firms — Hamilton, Wilson, Richards — he developed much of the south of Henley, with most houses being for rent.

As an example of the issues that arose in improving the town, Michael then considered Duke Street. It was said that before renovations took place, the road was so narrow that people in buildings on either side of the street could shake hands!

The pavements were 10in wide and the road just 10ft, leading to many accidents. The Local Board bought the entire western side for demolition.

The street was widened and straightened, the cost being more than £6,000 (a sizeable sum at the time).

The post office was relocated from Market Place to the corner of Friday Street (until recently, Lloyds Bank), and much of the street widened to a new building line.

The old town hall had stood at the top of the Market Place since the 1790s but, by the late Victorian era, was considered to be too small and somewhat dilapidated. Henley Corporation decided to replace it.

The new one stands on the existing site together with that of an adjacent property.

In 1910 an illuminated clock was added to the Congregational church, about which Clements said to the council it “would be more likely to be used than the clock at the town hall… the clock on the new church would be able to be seen by all the public”.

Michael concluded that Henley had survived the Victorian and Edwardian alterations “without undue violence to its deeper past”.

Having demolished the old town hall, Clements used the materials for his own residence. It still stands — known as The Crazies, at Crazies Hill.

For more information about the society, visit www.
wargravehistory.org.uk

Peter Delaney