Hidden Henley

My picture shows one of four well-known old signs on the approaches to our bridge. This bridge together with the river, church, pub and hotel make for the “chocolate box” images of Henley on Thames that are recognisable far and wide.

Some reports say that as far back as the Romans there was a need to regularly cross the river in our town and they may have used some sort of ford or ferry in this vicinity, perhaps where Phyllis Court is now located. And other records seem to show that back in 1199 King John crossed the Thames during his visit to our town.

But with the never-ending weight of traffic on our current bridge and long term talk of an proposed additional bridge in our general area, our imagination is really called on to picture how some accounts say that the curious St Annes Bridge dating from the year 1232 must have looked if it really did have buildings going across it – even including a chapel! Other articles from local historians say that earlier still in 1223 the Warden of the Bridge was given free passage through Windsor Forest (which extended all the way to Remenham in those days) to load such wood as was necessary to repair Henley’s bridge. There’s also that famous painting by Jan Siberechts that used to be on view in the River & Rowing museum showing the 17^th century wooden bridge. Nowadays, there is frequently more than “one loaded truck at one time” on the bridge and hundreds of pedestrians and motorists must pass these signs without really noticing them! Was the instruction prompted by the heavy bricks and tiles being produced in Nettlebed and sometimes needing to be transported over the river here?