As the River & Rowing Museum in Henley on-Thames closes its doors, reckoning with past tradition requires looking to the future.
Last month, the River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames celebrated its final weekend during the UK’s Heritage Open Days, where over 2,000 visitors were given free entry to explore the galleries one final time – at least for the foreseeable future.
The museum had been facing mounting financial pressure, including a £1m deficit last year. Interim director Kevin Sandhu described how the facilities were the main reason for the closure.
He said: “As much as we were able to grow our income and work on strategies, that work has been offset by the increase in costs that are impacting organisations up and down the country, a lot of which are in the heritage and cultural sector, unfortunately.”
While a three-year plan was put in place in 2024, the departure of former director Steve O’Connor (now general manager of Leander Club) meant it was too risky to continue.
Despite the financial situation, the museum has had many loyal visitors over its 25 years of operation.
David Worthington, chair of the museum trustees, noted that the museum “has been visited by more than two million people, hosted well in excess of 100,000 school children, and many regular family visitors are second and even third generation Wind in the Willows’ fans.” Here, Worthington refers to the permanent gallery “The Wind in the Willows” that immersed visitors in the world of the beloved novel by Kenneth Grahame. Its 3D models and miniature displays were a favourite among the youngest guests, as emphasised by several comments on O’Connor’s LinkedIn post about the museum’s closure.
Other exhibits included the River Gallery (tracing the ecosystem and history of the Thames “from source to sea”), the Henley gallery (chronicling the town’s history), and the International Rowing Gallery.
Following rowing from its ancient roots to the elite competitions of today, one author describes how the exhibit “captures this spirit [of rowing] beautifully, making you feel the spray, hear the coxswain’s calls, and understand the profound bond that develops among rowers.”
And while the fate of the 35,000 artefacts in its collection – including a wide range of historic Henley Royal Regatta (HRR) memorabilia and the winning boat from the first Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race in 1829 – remains somewhat uncertain, the closing of the museum itself represents a loss of an institution of rowing heritage.
Tradition and rowing
Last year, I wrote about tradition in conversation with Oliver Zeidler and Simon van Dorp in the context of their battle in the World Sculling Championships. They spoke about rowing as something tough, something that evokes deep respect among athletes because it is so challenging. However, they also spoke about how rowing must adapt and become more accessible in modern times.
The sport of rowing must be flexible, while remaining true to its long heritage. It is undeniable that rowing and tradition are closely intertwined, and no town knows that better than Henley-on-Thames.
For one, the Thames and its boats have always been at the heart (literally and figuratively) of Henley. Since the Middle Ages, ships carrying grain transformed the area into a thriving town, especially in proximity to the London markets. However, as described in a 2025 travel guide by National Geographic, “it wasn’t until 1839, when oars hit the water for the inaugural Henley Regatta, that the town made the leap from prosperous port to fashionable resort. Featuring more than 400 races spread out across the first week of July, the boating event now attracts over 300,000 visitors every year.”
The River & Rowing Museum pays homage to this heritage through its education and preservation of historical artefacts. By simultaneously honouring the past and promoting environmental stewardship for the future, the museum encapsulated both a recognition of tradition and the actions needed to ensure these traditions can continue.
I should note, of course, that Henley is more than just the regatta, and rowing is far more than just the clubs along the Thames. Being part of the richness of rowing tradition also requires acknowledging the structures that have made it inaccessible for many people across the country and internationally. From club kit etiquette to a wider culture of elitism and exclusion, I believe the sport still has work to do in becoming more accessible, even though massive progress has been made in the past decade.
Bridging the past and future
So what does all of this mean for the museum?
Heritage institutions, such as the River & Rowing Museum, are markers of shared identities, common roots that transform simple landscapes into rich communities. In a post on the museum’s social media, they describe how “this museum means so much more than bricks and mortar to those of us that work here. It’s a place where learning is brought to life for thousands of children, and where history, sport and the environment are brought together.”
The closing of the museum is a sad occasion because it represents the difficulty of trying to honour tradition and maintain a sense of collective identity in the face of difficult change.
As Michael Redley, chair of the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group, says: “It’s so important that a town like Henley has a local history museum, a heritage centre of some kind, because it just gives everybody in the town a sort of sense of where the whole thing has come from and a sense of its own past. A new museum must know its audience, and it must be sensitive to the changes in that as well.”
Crucially, museums are not incapable of change either. I hope the River & Rowing Museum will find a form in which it can endure, not just for the children who come to learn and be inspired, but for the tribute it pays to the sport of rowing: where it has come from, and where we hope it can go.
