Henley has won Gold in the 2026 Regional Bloom Awards with 92 out of 100. Judges singled out Marsh Meadows, and the town's UK final result is still to come.
Henley has won Gold in the 2026 Regional Bloom Awards, with a score of 92 out of 100. Henley Town Council announced the result on 6 October.
It is the town’s second Gold in a row. Henley returned to the regional competition in 2025 after six years away and took Gold at the Thames & Chilterns in Bloom Awards that September. Its previous entry, in 2019, brought its sixth consecutive Gold.
How the 92 was made up
Two regional judges, Steve Catnach and Julie Graham, visited Henley on 4 August. The council says they awarded:
- 37 points for horticulture
- 28 points for environment
- 27 points for community
For scale, the council said last year that a score of more than 85% is needed for Gold. This year’s 92 clears that comfortably.
What the judges picked out
According to the council, the judges’ report praised Henley’s civic pride, biodiversity work and community involvement. It singled out the Marsh Meadows project and its biodiversity work, noting the importance of protecting that sensitive habitat.
The judges also highlighted:
- the Living Advent Calendar
- Big Green Week activities
- community planting
- projects with schools and local organisations
- wildflower areas and pollinator-friendly planting
The council says the judges described the standards kept across the town as “excellent”.
“A score of 92 is an extraordinary result, and the recognition belongs to the whole community,” a Henley Town Council spokesperson said. “From volunteers and residents to businesses, schools and community groups.”
The UK final is still to be decided
This regional Gold is not the end of Henley’s year. In January the council said Henley in Bloom had been chosen as a finalist in the 2026 RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals, in the Town category, with national judging between 27 July and 14 August.
Henley’s national result has not been announced yet. We will report it when it is.
What it means for you
The work the judges scored is out in the town now. Mill Meadows already holds a Green Flag Award, and the council manages it together with Marsh Meadows. Our things to do in Henley page has more ideas for a day out.
The Living Advent Calendar the judges mentioned returns in December. If you want to help with planting or the Bloom projects, the council’s Henley Goes Greener page is the place to start.
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