Henley in Arden, Warwickshire

Description
Henley-in-Arden, a market-town and an ecclesiastical parish in Wootton Wawen parish, Warwickshire. The town stands in the forest of Arden, under a sheltering range of hills on the river Arrow, near its confluence with the Aine, near the boundary with Worcestershire, and near the Stratford-on-Avon Canal, 8 miles NNW of Stratford-on-Avon. In 1894 it was connected with the G.W.R. main line at Kingswold. The town consists chiefly of one street about three-quarters of a mile long, contains some good modern houses and some ancient ones, and presents a clean and cheerful appearance. It had, when Dugdale wrote, some scant remains of an ancient castle of the De Montforta. It had also an hospital or guild of the time of Henry VI.; and it was entirely destroyed by fire about the time of the battle of Evesham. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Birmingham, a bank, is a seat of petty sessions, and contains the shaft of a very ancient market-cross. A weekly market is held on Monday, and fairs on 2S March and 11 and 29 Oct. The ecclesiastical parish includes the town, and extends into the country. Population, 1043. The manor belonged to the De Montforts, and passed to the Botelers. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Worcester; gross value, £160 with residence. The church is ancient, and was restored in 1856, all the windows being of stained glass. There is a Baptist chapel, and a Wesleyan 'chapel was erected in 1894.