Henley At Home Programme - Flipbook - Page 3
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA
THE REGATTA was established at a public meeting in the Town Hall,
Henley-on-Thames, on 26th March, 1839, when it was resolved:
“That from the lively interest which has been manifested at the various
boat races which have taken place on the Henley Reach during the
last few years, and the great influx of visitors on such occasions, this
meeting is of the opinion that the establishing of an annual regatta,
under judicious and respectable management, would not only be
productive of the most beneficial results to the town of Henley, but
from its peculiar attractions would also be a source of amusement and
gratification to the neighbourhood, and to the public in general.”
In 1851 His Royal Highness Prince Albert (later H.R.H. The Prince Consort)
became the first Royal Patron of the Regatta, since when it has been styled
“Henley Royal Regatta”.
The 1839 Regatta was raced on a single afternoon, but the enthusiasm it
generated led to a two-day Regatta in 1840. In 1886 racing was extended to
three days, and, in 1906, to four. From 1928 onwards, some events became
consistently oversubscribed, and Qualifying Races were introduced to reduce
entries to appropriate numbers. In 1986 the Regatta was extended to five days
with the Qualifying Races taking place the previous week.
REGATTA HEADQUARTERS. In its earliest days, the Regatta was
run from the office of its first Secretary, James Nash, a Henley solicitor. For
many years until 1966 the Stewards rented Baltic Cottage in Friday Street,
and between 1975 and 1985 the administration was run from two rooms in
Leander Club. By 1982 these had become entirely inadequate and in 1983 the
Stewards bought the former Carpenters’ Arms public house beside Henley
Bridge and on this site, and some adjacent land they already owned, built a
permanent Headquarters. On 16th April, 1986 these were officially opened
by Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke
of Edinburgh.
TEMPLE ISLAND. The Temple on the island at the Start of the Regatta
Course was designed by James Wyatt for Sambrooke Freeman of Fawley
Court in 1771. In 1987 the Stewards purchased a 999-year lease of the Island,
the downstream portion of which is retained as a nature reserve. The Temple
itself has been fully restored. The wall paintings (those in the principal room
are the earliest surviving examples of the Etruscan style in Britain) had
deteriorated badly and suffered from inferior over-painting. These were
repaired and now appear in the original colours as designed by Wyatt.
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