The first railway station at Henley was opened to passengers on 6 June 1894 (and to goods on 2 July 1894) at the end of a short branch line, 3 miles 7 chains (5.0 km) in length, running from Rowington Junction, near Lapworth (then known as Kingswood) on the Great Western Railway (GWR) main line from London to Birmingham.

A short spur, 32 chains (640 m) in length, was constructed to allow branch line trains to enter the new station, but the old one continued to be used for goods.

Official closure of the 2 miles 59 chains (4.4 km) between Rowington Junction and the old station took place on 1 January 1917.

The following year, the group initiated a renovation of the building intended to return it to its original state, retaining as many features as possible.

[8][9] Within two months, local media was reporting that the new venue was "... already receiving high praise from beer lovers near and far.