Henley-in-Arden Railway Station

Serves Henley and Beaudesert residential commuter villages in a rural setting. Minimal station facilities. Buses run along the High Street at the bottom of the hill: they do not pass the station.

 

Henley-in-Arden is the birthplace of William James (13 June 1771 – 10 March 1837), an English lawyer, surveyor, land agent and pioneer promoter of rail transport. According to his obituary, he was the original projector of the Liverpool & Manchester and other railways, and may be considered as the father of the railway system, as he surveyed numerous lines at his own expense at a time when such innovation was generally ridiculed.

 

James worked closely with George Stephenson, whose brother Robert Stephenson designed and built the famous 'Rocket' locomotive. Sadly, William James received little recognition for his work and died in poverty despite many pleas to Parliament by him and his children for financial assistance and recognition of his contribution to the system we still use to this day.

 

The town lies at a crossroads between the A3400 and the A4189 roads and is the starting point for the circular Arden Way footpath. It also lies on the Heart of England Way.

 

Originally a hamlet of neighbouring Wootton Wawen, Henley-in-Arden was on Feldon Street, the original route out of the Forest of Arden. In the 11th century, Thurstan de Montford built Beaudesert Castle on the hill above Beaudesert.

 

Henley-in-Arden was known far and wide for its famous Mile of Pubs. It was common for young men to be taken down the High Street to drink in every one of the then 18 hostelries along the High Street.  Sadly, not all have survived, but there are still many who will give you a warm welcome.

 

Although Beaudesert Castle no longer remains, several other historical buildings and structures still exist in the town, including the churches of  St. Nicholas and St. John the Baptist as well as the 15th-century Guildhall.

​

Henley-in-Arden has a 'Court Leet'; this Ancient order is a rare leftover from the days when local residents were the keepers of law and order for the residents of towns and villages around Britain. Very few Court Leets still exist, but Henley-in-Arden has retained the posts.  The officials no longer have the power, but the traditional roles are filled each year for a High Bailiff, Low Bailiff, Mace Bearer, Constable, Ale Taster, Butter Weigher, Hayward, Brook Lookers, Tax Collectors, Chamberlain, Searcher and Sealer of Leather, Town Crier. Chaplain to the Court, and Honorary Burgesses. All with ancient regalia to wear on formal occasions.

 

In the 20th century, Henley-in-Arden became well known for ice cream. In 1934 two brothers, Harry and Arthur Fathers began experimenting with ice cream with the 'know-how' given to them by their mother, who used to make ice cream for her shop in Rubery. Originally produced by hand, the ice cream was sold under the Henley Ice Cream brand.

 

Henley Ice Cream won a premier award, voted the best ice cream in the United Kingdom in 1937. Henley-in-Arden Ice Cream remains available today at the same parlour on the High Street.

​

In 2018 the Shakespeare Line Rail User Group approached Henley in Arden & Beaudesert Joint Parish Council with the intention of getting the station adopted and interest in the original Great Western Railway station building which had been boarded up in 1994 and had become derelict. 

The Council was initially ambivalent, but in 2019 a change of councillors brought a renewed interest, and the Parish Council, represented by Angela Okey, contacted FoSL. It was soon decided to pursue the opportunity, which led to the formation of the Friends of Henley Railway Station (FHRS).

​

Within a few months, the station was brightened up, with garden planters, painting and artwork replacing bare boards. This generated considerable interest around the town, with regular updates on its Facebook page getting an enthusiastic response. However, under the dynamic leadership of Angela Okey as its Chair, the Henley team pursued a bigger prize of bringing life back to the station building.

​

​FHRS applied and became a Community Interest Company (CIC), and in 2022, engagement with Network Rail, West Midlands Railway and the Railway Heritage Trust commenced.

​