Designed by David Chipperfield Architects to reflect the style of local boathouses and barns, Henley’s family-friendly museum explores the history of the Thames, the sport of rowing and the community of Henley-on-Thames and makes a good out-of-town jaunt. The rowing gallery has video footage of races from 1897 onwards, including what is believed to be the first cinematic show reel and a recording of the 1936 Olympics race won by the GB team and watched by Hitler.
A virtual reality exhibit allows visitors to experience the cox’s view of a race, but the top attraction is probably the Sydney IV boat in which Steve Redgrave won his fifth Olympic gold medal in 2000 – visitors apparently never fail to comment on the size of the rowers’ shoes, which are still in the boat.
A permanent exhibition on the ‘Wind in the Willows’ portrays Kenneth’s Grahame’s story (and costs extra).