Savills Portugal

The stretch of the Thames from Henley to Windsor offers some of the country's most beautiful waterfront landscapes.

I grew up in Henley so you might say I'm biased but there really is something quite unique about riverside life here. You can swim, row and kayak on the water or run and walk alongside it – the only thing you can’t do is water ski.

For much of my childhood I was fortunate enough to live in a house overlooking the starting line of the Henley Regatta. And having defined much of my younger life, the Thames has followed me throughout my career: I sold properties on the river in Fulham in the 1980s before moving back to the country and continuing to market some of the most desirable waterfront homes in the UK.

Properties on the river here are varied – everything from apartments and cottages to large country houses and Grade II listed homes. Buyers are divided between those who want town-centre living with river views and those who want to make the most of the Thames with their own private moorings and a large river frontage.

For me, what makes this part of the Thames Valley so special is that the countryside that surrounds it has remained unspoilt. As the area is made up of a number of large estates, the land around the river has avoided high levels of urbanisation. That said, we benefit from being within close proximity of the major road networks and Heathrow airport and are just a short train journey from London.

The Thames Valley also hosts some highly regarded music and sporting events, most notably the annual Henley Regatta, which makes the most of the straight stretch of the river between Henley and Mill End. And of course, in 2012 the eyes of the whole world were upon us when a number of Olympic medal events were held in Dorney Lake, near Eton.