Hay-on-Wye: The Town of Books, the Hay Festival & Things to Do

Hay-on-Wye is a small market town on the River Wye, right on the border between Wales and England, at the northern edge of the Black Mountains. Its narrow streets are lined with bookshops, galleries, antiques shops and cafés around a Norman castle.

Why Hay-on-Wye Is Special

With more than twenty bookshops, Hay is often called the Town of Books, and it is the National Book Town of Wales. Book lovers can lose whole days here among the shelves.

Every year it hosts the Hay Festival, one of the most famous literary festivals in the world, and the hills and river around the town are glorious for walking and canoeing.

The History of Hay-on-Wye

Hay grew up around a Norman castle after the conquest of the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog in the late 11th century.

In 1962 Richard Booth opened his first second-hand bookshop in the town, in the old fire station, and by the 1970s Hay had gained its nickname, the Town of Books.

On 1 April 1977 Booth staged a famous publicity stunt, declaring Hay an "independent kingdom" with himself as its king. Today the Hay Festival, held each spring in fields near the town, brings writers and readers from around the world.

Things to Do in Hay-on-Wye

Browse the bookshops, from Richard Booth's Bookshop to specialist dealers in poetry, crime and maps, and the honesty bookshelves under the castle walls. Visit Hay Castle.

Walk along the River Wye, hire a canoe, or drive up to Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains for the view over the Wye valley.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near Hay-on-Wye

Hay lies on the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park; see our guide to Bannau Brycheiniog. Offa's Dyke Path passes through the town.

For gardens, Old Railway Line Garden Centre is at Three Cocks nearby, and antiques hunters can head to Nicholls and FortySix in Abergavenny or Leominster Antiques Centre over the border.

Hay-on-Wye Through the Seasons

Spring brings the Hay Festival. Summer is the time for canoeing on the Wye. Autumn colours the Black Mountains, and winter brings cosy afternoons in the bookshops.

Getting to Hay-on-Wye

The nearest railway station is Hereford, about 20 miles away, with buses to Hay. There is a car park near the town centre.

Hay-on-Wye: Questions & Answers

How many bookshops are there in Hay-on-Wye?

More than twenty. Hay is the National Book Town of Wales.

When is the Hay Festival?

Each spring, usually in late May and early June. Check the festival's website for dates.

Our Advice

Our advice: Give yourself a whole day for the bookshops, and book accommodation early if you come during the Hay Festival.