The village dates back to 1904, soon after the Boer War. One of the developers, Horace Kent hailed from Henley on Thames, near London, and named the village for the river it was situated on and the town he remembered fondly.
His house built near the railway line and the Henley on Klip station, then called ‘The Halt’, still stands and is now fittingly called The Olde Haunte as it is a certified haunted house. There is a bar attached to the house called Off the Rails.
In the very early years there was rapid development especially around the river. Since then there have been spurts of growth but also years of nothing much happening which means that today Henley is a mixture of styles from old stone farm houses to the Spanish style of the sixties to modern colossi, and with every style in between.
It is also known for its trees, iceberg roses, well kept gardens and general air of tranquillity as well as some hidden gems.
Tiny Henley is also home to 10 places for eating and drinking. For many Jo’burgers it is becoming a weekend destination again, just as it was a hundred years ago when there were special trains leaving the Rand for ‘The Halt’ where horse carts would collect the visitors and take them to the hotels on the river.
Now a Heritage Route has been developed to guide visitors to all the notable sights in Henley.
The tour starts at About Time Café at the end of Henley Drive. The booklet which is sold there, costs R50 (proceeds in aid of the Lions) and then the visitors can follow the route (14 km but 24km if they do all the loops) and read all about the village as they go. There is a detailed map forming the centre fold.
Cycling is the most fun but driving it works, too, and some might even have the legs to walk it.
Take the Henley Drive off ramp from the R59, cross the bridges and enter an unexpected world.
Issued by: Sal Hebert
