Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
New St.
&
01491/848400.
www.hotelduvin.co.uk. Main courses and platters £14-£22. AE, MC, V. Daily
noon-2pm and 6-11pm.
Where to Stay
Falaise House
This is a first-class B&B in a Georgian townhouse built in 1755,
with immaculate en-suite rooms (standard, deluxe, and superior); all are equally well
equipped, with the main difference being that standard rooms are smaller. The own-
ers, Jane and Richard, are gracious hosts, the location is perfect, and the finishing
touch is the breakfasts: a vast choice of fresh fruit and cooked meals, including Scot-
tish smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.
37 Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2AA. www.falaisehouse.com.
&
01491/573388.
6 units. £85-£175 double. AE, MC, V. Public parking nearby (free overnight and Sun only).
In room:
TV,
hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Hotel du Vin
The Hotel du Vin chain took the former Georgian Brakspears
Brewery and imaginatively converted it into a fine example of industrial recycling.
What has emerged is the poshest hotel in the area. Each of the beautifully furnished
rooms, with solid oak pieces, is named after a vineyard. The decorator ordered that
all walls be painted a “toast color,” and installed thick wall-to-wall carpeting and
“dreamboat beds.” Fine Egyptian linens and spectacular power showers in the bath-
rooms are additional enticements.
New St., Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2BP. www.hotelduvin.co.uk.
&
01491/848400.
43 units.
£145-£195 double; £210-£425 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £15.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; room ser-
vice.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (£10 per 24 hr.).
Lenwade Bed & Breakfast
Built in the early 1900s, this welcoming Victorian
guesthouse is owned and operated by Jacquie and John Williams. Entering from a
small courtyard filled with flowering vines and lush foliage, you'll see a 1.5-m (6-ft.)
stained-glass window thought to depict Joan of Arc. Another memorable detail is the
winding staircase with its original handrails. The small to midsize bedrooms are indi-
vidually decorated and comfortably furnished, while breakfast (a huge spread of
juices and hot and cold dishes) is served at a congenial communal table.
3 Western Rd., Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1JL. www.lenwade.com.
&
01491/573468.
4 units.
From £75 double (£55 single). Rates include English breakfast. No credit cards. Free parking.
Ameni-
ties:
Free bicycle storage.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Side Trips from Henley
Mapledurham House
HISTORIC SITE The stately Blount family mansion
lies beside the Thames in the unspoiled village of Mapledurham, just outside Read-
ing. The aristocratic Blount family has lived here since 1490—the current mansion
was completed in 1612 and is currently owned by John Eyston, a Blount descendant.
Inside, you'll see Elizabethan ceilings and a great oak staircase, as well as portraits of
the two beautiful sisters with whom the poet Alexander Pope, a frequent visitor here
(1707-15), fell in love. The family chapel, built in 1789, is a fine example of modern
Gothic architecture. On the grounds, the last working
water mill
on the Thames still
produces flour. Film buffs note that the 1976 Michael Caine movie
The Eagle Has
Landed
was filmed at Mapledurham (standing in for a Norfolk village), and is sup-
posed to have inspired the fictional Toad Hall (from
The Wind in the Willows
).
The most romantic way to reach this gorgeous old house is to take the boat that
leaves the promenade next to Caversham Bridge in Reading at 2pm on Saturday,
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