Henley Temple
on Temple Island in the River Thames,
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
Henley Temple lies on Temple
Island in the River Thames, a mile and a half downstream of
Henley. The Temple is a prominent feature in the view down river,
clearly visible from Henley town bridge and from the adjacent
banks of the River Thames.
It was completed in 1771 as
a Georgian summerhouse or fishing lodge for nearby Fawley Court.
Although the design was chosen to augment the river view through
the trees from Fawley Court it can be argued that it was never
strictly a folly since it had a purpose.
The original structure had one main room decorated in the
Etruscan style based upon designs discovered at Pompeii, and with
a cupola above. Subsequent alterations were made to make the
building habitable.
Temple Island is small, and close to the start of the races of
Henley Royal Regatta. In 1987 the Regatta Stewards leased the
island and began a programme to restore the Temple. It features
in the Regatta and is now used also as a centre for corporate
entertaining.
