Henley-on-Thames Town Council Green Spaces and Parks
Henley-on-Thames has a wealth of recreation areas, green spaces and parks. These include:
Freeman’s Meadow
A recreational area and town green located next to The Fairmile that includes a children’s playground.
Makins Recreation Ground
A recreation ground located on Greys Road just above the Scout Hut.
It includes a children’s play area, a concrete multi-wheeled facility (skateboard park) and outdoor gym equipment.
Mill & Marsh Meadows
A large riverside recreational area that includes a fantastic toddler play area as well as an older childrens’ adventure playground (reopened in June 2024), public toilets and acres of open space. There is also a wildlife walk, and the riverside towpath to Marsh Lock. Also a mural on the Pavillion celebrating biodiversity on the Thames Path. Click here to read The Mill and Marsh Meadows Management and Maintenance Plan 2021 – 2026.
Gillotts Field
Henley Town Council purchased Gillotts Field in the early 1990s for public recreation and has subsequently been registered as a Town Green.
40 Acre Field
With the Baby Loss Memorial Tree in place since 2026.
Adventure Golf
This new facility was launched April 2022 in place of the putting green. Featuring miniature versions of all the big sites in Henley – including Kenton Theatre, St Marys Church, George Harrison’s House, Temple Island. Taking you through 18 holes of miniature golf. More information here
Please contact Henley Information Centre for more information on all our parks and recreation facilities: Tel: 01491 576982.
If you’d like to hire a space in our parks, download a booking form.
In addition, the Town Council manages the Sports Facility at Jubilee Park.
Freemans Meadow
Freemans Meadow is an informal open space just minutes from the town centre. Tucked away behind residential roads, the park has a variety of mature trees and a large field for play. An easy 10-minute walk or bike ride from the town centre. It can be reached via Northfield End to the north of the town. There are joining paths off the Fairmile and Luker Avenue too.
- Dedicated play area for toddlers and children
- Swings, zip wire
- Ball games allowed – Football posts for a kickabout.
- Walk the dog
- Picnics (no BBQs please)
There are no public toilets on site. The nearest public toilets are found a short walk away at the Kings Road Car park.
Mill and Marsh Meadows
Mill and Marsh Meadows form the principal recreational park in Henley, with Green Flag status, and are located adjacent to the River Thames upstream of Henley Bridge.
The towpath bordering the park on the eastern side, forms part of the Thames Path – a national trail which stretches 184 miles from the Thames’s source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier in London.
You will find a toddler play area, an adventure playground, adventure golf, a bandstand (with live music on Sundays in the summer), canoe hire, café, bowling club and flower beds dedicated to Henley’s twin towns.
Marsh Meadows is more informal in nature comprising rough grass, trees and hedges and a wildlife area which contains a small reed bed, shallow ponds and a wet, flower rich, meadow conservation area.
The park has held the prestigious Green Flag Award since 2014 recognising it as one of the best green spaces in the country!
If you are arriving by car, access is by Meadow Road which leads directly into the Pay and Display Car Park.
Mill and Marsh Meadows is accessible via public transport with bus stops and train services within minutes of the park.
Public toilets for ladies and gents, plus a toilet for the disabled and family room, are provided on the ground floor of the Leichlingen Pavilion, adjacent to the pay and display car park. These are open 7 days a week from 8 am to 5 pm in summer and 8 am to 3.00 pm in winter and are maintained by Henley Town Council.
Mill Meadows Pavilion Mural
A new large-scale mural is being created on the wall of Mill Meadows Pavilion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Thames Path National Trail.
Painted by artist Vickie Amiralis, the mural will be a colourful and interactive artwork highlighting the rich biodiversity of the River Thames. It celebrates the wide range of flora and fauna that live in, on and around the river, while encouraging visitors to learn more about the natural environment on their doorstep.
The mural will feature species found along the Thames, from its source in the Cotswolds to the estuary in London, including plants, birds, mammals, fish, insects and amphibians. It also highlights the river’s environmental recovery — once declared biologically dead in 1957, the Thames is now seeing the return of wildlife, including species such as short-snouted seahorses.
Work on the mural begins on 1 May, coinciding with the Henley Arts Trail, and will be completed ahead of Greener Henley’s Great Big Green Week on 6 June. As part of the celebrations, the artist will also host free, drop-in art activities in the Market Place.
The mural also features a specially commissioned poem by Robert Seatter, the Thames Path National Trail’s Poet in Residence, forming part of a series of 30 poems marking the anniversary.
This project forms part of wider celebrations marking 30 years since the Thames Path was opened as a National Trail in 1996, including a 24-day walking relay from the river’s source to the Thames Estuary.
Gillotts Field
Henley Town Council purchased Gillotts Field in the early 1990s for public recreation and has subsequently been registered as a Town Green.
In the year 2000, local people planted 2000 native trees and shrubs to mark the Millennium and in 2001, a wildlife hedge was planted along the eastern boundary.
It is a lovely spot to walk your dog – but please clean up after them!
Baby Loss Memorial Tree
Located in the Sue Ryder Woodland at 40 Acre Field, this peaceful and reflective space has been created to support families who have experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly afterwards. The location was carefully chosen for its calm and natural surroundings, providing a place for remembrance, reflection and quiet contemplation away from busier areas of the town.
The memorial takes the form of a sculptural tree, with branches designed to hold individual engraved leaves. Families can choose to dedicate a leaf in memory of their baby, creating a lasting and personal tribute within a shared community space.
Over time, the tree will grow as more leaves are added, forming a collective memorial that honours babies gone too soon while offering comfort and connection to families across the community.
Find out more about the project and how to order a leaf HERE
Henley Outdoor Sports Centre
Henley Outdoor Sports Centre (including Jubilee Park),
Reading Road,
Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire.
Bookings: Enquiries
email enquiries@henleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Tel: 01491 576982 (Henley Town Council)
Henley Bowls Club
Henley Bowls Club is based at the Leichlingen Pavilion in Mill Meadows and welcomes visitors and new members. All are welcome to their Monday evening summer coaching sessions and social activities in the winter.
For further information on the Bowls Club please click below
