 View of the museum from the car park | |
 | |
| Established | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mill Meadows,Henley-on-Thames,England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′56″N0°53′46″W / 51.5322°N 0.8961°W /51.5322; -0.8961 |
| Type | Local and sports museum |
| Collections | Rowing,River Thames,Henley-on-Thames |
| Founder | David Lunn-Rockliffe |
| Architect | SirDavid Chipperfield |
| Historian | Chris Dodd |
| Nearest parking | Own car park |
| Website | www |
TheRiver & Rowing Museum inHenley-on-Thames,Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site atMill Meadows by theRiver Thames.[1] It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidalRiver Thames, the internationalsport ofrowing and the local town ofHenley-on-Thames.
The impetus for the museum largely came fromDavid Lunn-Rockliffe, formerly Executive Secretary of theAmateur Rowing Association.[2]The building was designed by the modernistarchitect SirDavid Chipperfield[3] and has won awards for the building itself, including theRoyal Fine Art CommissionBuilding of the Year award in 1999. It was also UK National HeritageMuseum of the Year in 1999.
It was officially opened in November 1998 byQueen Elizabeth II.[4] Major benefactors include The Arbib Foundation run by local businessmenSir Martyn Arbib andUrs Schwarzenbach. There was a 1998 opening exhibition ofJulian Trevelyan 'River Thames' etchings.
In 2004, aThe Wind in the Willows attraction for families was installed.[5] This is a walk-through recreation using models, sets and an audio-guide of all theE.H. Shepard illustrations from the 1908Kenneth Grahame book.
In 2006, the museum completed an extensive refurbishment of its Rowing Gallery, thanks to a major donation by Urs Schwarzenbach. Now known as theSchwarzenbach International Rowing Gallery, it tells the story of rowing from its beginnings inancient Greece to the modernOlympics. Thematically arranged the gallery includes sections devoted to theOxford v.CambridgeBoat Race, World &Olympic rowing, professional rowing in the 19th and early 20th centuries, boat building, coaching and nutrition. The museum now displays a unique collection of video clips. A feature in theSchwarzenbach International Rowing Gallery is an interactive exhibitIn the Cox's Seat that allows visitors to sit in a rowing boat and experience a race atHenley Royal Regatta.
Temporary exhibitions have included work by the Thames-based painterChris Gollon, the local 20th-century artistJohn Piper: 'The Master of Diversity in Association with Bohun Gallery and the Michael Gyselynck John Piper Collection, one of his collaborators, the potterGeoffrey Eastop, the local painterNick Schlee, and the local furniture makerPhilip Koomen. In 2006, there was an exhibition by John Piper's grandson,Luke Piper. Between November 2006 and February 2007, there was an exhibition of the illustrations ofE.H. Shepard calledThe Man who Drew Pooh & Toad.[6]
The museum was one of the first to have a website, which existed before the building opened.[7]
On 27 February, 2025, the trustees of the museum announced that the museum is to cease operations and close, due to financial pressures.[8]
The Museum includes four themes explored through a wide variety of exhibitions and events across four galleries and special exhibitions:
The permanentThe Wind in the Willows exhibition includesMr Toad, Ratty, Badger, and Mole to a location on the bank of the River Thames, whose creatures and landscapes provided the inspiration behind the original book.
E.H. Shepard's illustrations are included as 3-D models that depict the adventures of Mr Toad, Ratty, and their friends. The Museum has rights to use the original images by Shepard, who explored the meadows and willow-fringed river around nearbyPangbourne in search of settings for these illustrations. The exhibition follows the original storyline, using theatrical lighting and sound techniques to take visitors on a journey through the world ofThe Wind in the Willows. Interactive exhibits and specially developed audio guides help visitors feel a part of the story.
The Thames Gallery is the largest of the River & Rowing Museum's permanent galleries. It provides an interpretation of the River Thames from source to sea. The River Thames is a key element of life in theThames Valley and the country as a whole. The gallery offers visitors a range of perspectives, looking at the river as an inspiration for the arts, as a natural habitat for wildlife and as both a source of pleasure and a means of trade. In a mix of music, art, photography, original objects, boats and oral testimony the gallery takes the visitor on a journey from the source at Kemble to theThames Barrier. Exhibits from local and private collections illustrate the historic and social importance of the river, while interactive displays enable visitors to learn more about river management and water supply.
Aspects of the Thames in the exhibition include:
There is a contemporary painting by the entrance,Gollon At Henley, painted byChris Gollon and commissioned by the River & Rowing Museum in 2008.[9] The image shows a defeated crew atHenley Royal Regatta. Inside the gallery, the story of international rowing is presented, allowing the visitor to experience the sport and understand what it is like to compete on the water.
Rowing is one of the world's oldest sports and the gallery tells its story in detail. On display are many objects no previously shown in public, film footage showing races, and a range of interactive exhibits of general interest. Sections include exhibits on the following:
The Henley Gallery tells the story of the town of Henley-on-Thames, built by the river. The history presented covers industry, arts, theCivil War, sports, etc. An interactive touch-screen allows visitors to take a virtual tour around the streets of Henley, travel back through time to when the town was established, see how it has changed over time, and how it became famous for rowing.
The Museum acquired anIron Age coin hoard in 2009.[10] It is made up of 32 gold coins dating from approximately 50 AD. It was found in Henley in 2003 and is the only hoard of British-made Iron Age coins fromOxfordshire to have survived intact.[11] They have been acquired jointly by the River & Rowing Museum and theAshmolean Museum in Oxford.
Henley was established in the 12th century when its location by the river made it convenient as an inland port for shipping timber, grain, and firewood to the rapidly growing city of London. From this time onwards, the town's fortunes were linked to the river and transport. Boats, stagecoaches, railway engines and motors have in turn brought goods and people to the town for business and pleasure.
Henley Royal Regatta has made the town ofHenley-on-Thames an international centre of rowing. Established in 1839, and gaining a royal patron in 1851, the Regatta brings together leading international oarsmen and women and is considered to be part of the Englishsocial calendar.[12] Town and Regatta celebrations since 1899 are presented on film in the gallery.
Painted in 1698 by the Dutch masterJan Siberechts (1627–c.1703),Henley from theWargrave Road has its own room off the Henley Gallery. A masterpiece displaying the multifaceted life of the town and surrounding countryside, it is one of a series of English landscapes by Siberechts,[13] The painting is a record of social history, showing the river trade, agriculture, and social hierarchy, alongside a still familiar view of the town.Henley from the Wargrave Road was purchased with the assistance of theNational Art Collections Fund and theHeritage Lottery Fund.[14]
Treasures Gallery, SirGraham Kirkham Gallery, and The Wall provide venues for special exhibitions throughout the year. The Museum's exhibition programme is designed around its major themes and includes exhibitions that have a family appeal as well as more specialist exhibitions. Topics range from celebrations of major events and anniversaries to arts, crafts, and sculpture or in-depth investigations.[15]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
