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Henley, commonly called Henley in Arden, is 102 miles from London, near the river Arrow. It was anciently a member of Watton-Waven [sic], but afterwards annexed to Beaudesert, where was once a castle, and a market kept at it by grant of King Stephen, which was the occasion of building the town for the reception of the market-people, at the bottom of the hill whereon the castle stood. The market is on Tuesday; fairs, March 25 and Whit-Tuesday. About the time of the battle of Evesham it was burnt; but in the reign of Edward I it recovered, and was called the borough of Henley. Here is a chapel of ease to Waveney, the parish-church, which chapel was first built in the 41st of Edward III.
Oldbury is one mile form Henley in Arden, and six from Warwick. The Romans are supposed to have had a fort here, which contained seven acres, enclosed with high ramparts. Several flints have been ploughed up here, curiously ground in the form of a pole-ax, thought to be the instruments of war, brought hither by the Britons, before the invention of other arms, because there are no flints found within forty miles of it.

Source: Universal British Directory 1791