50 Shades of Hay
Hay is a small village on the river Wye, located along the eastern border between England and Wales. Internationally known for the amount of secondhand bookshops crammed into its small streets,
Hay-On-Wye is the perfect place to escape to for a couple of days if you're in need of some quiet time to read, eat, walk and contemplate. My visit in late February was a welcome escape from the mega-stress levels of zone 1 London.
Arriving
Getting to Hay is a bit of a challenge if you are relying on public transport. The train from London (the same one I took when I visited Bath) takes you as far as Hereford, and from there we got a taxi to Hay. There is a local bus service that runs every half an hour most days, which might cost you less, but which takes over an hour to do the 33km trip.
Accommodation
AirB&B is a good option here as the town is very small and there isn't much choice for accommodation. When the literary festival is on the town is totally rammed with people, and I imagine finding a place to stay last minute would be impossible. We stayed in a town house with bedrooms upstairs and kitchen bathroom and living/dining downstairs. expect all the buildings to be small and the furniture slightly dated, but cosy and welcoming nevertheless.
The bookshop circuit
It's not an exaggeration to say there are about 20 bookshops in Hay. Any one of them is a fine place to start your day. You can pick up a map which numbers all the shops and gives you a little idea about what to find in each. The area you cover walking to them all is very small (Central Hay is made up of three streets which form a triangle) so you have to be really very special to get lost. Being a secondhand bookshop owner herself, my Mother knew the owner of one of the bigger shops, so we started there first.
Brunch & Lunch
The Old Electric Shop sounds like a terrible name for a business, but is one of the jewels in Hay's crown. Part cafe, part clothing boutique, part homeware shop, The Old Electric Shop came through with a London-worthy lunch (and breakfast the next day).
Hay Castle
I couldn't get into the castle because of the undergoing restorations, but I think the finished job will look amazing. The castle is medieval and in the 17th Century a Jacobean mansion house was build beside the main structure.
It's hard to say when this work will be complete, but having full site access in the first time in 800 years is something to see, so check their website for updates.
The River Wye
From the bridge you can see Wales and England and where they meet. Across the river a few kilometres up the road is the Welsh town of Clyro, while Hay sits right along the Wye riverbank.
Dogs of Hay
Another feather in Hay's hat - there are so many dogs!
Dinner
We ate at Tomatitos and at St John's Place, both on Lion Street. Two very different places, both delicious. Tomatitos was tapas-style Spanish food in a Welsh country pub setting with an open fire. The food came in small ceramic dishes perfect for sharing over a drink and some good conversation. St John's Place (just across the street) is harder to find and is only open on the weekends. It is a smaller interior, all white, with a chic but wholesome feel. The food is more gourmet than Tomatitos. A nice surprise from little old Hay.
Have you been to Hay? If not, it's worth a visit.
Thanks for reading,
x G x
Getting to Hay is a bit of a challenge if you are relying on public transport. The train from London (the same one I took when I visited Bath) takes you as far as Hereford, and from there we got a taxi to Hay. There is a local bus service that runs every half an hour most days, which might cost you less, but which takes over an hour to do the 33km trip.
Accommodation
AirB&B is a good option here as the town is very small and there isn't much choice for accommodation. When the literary festival is on the town is totally rammed with people, and I imagine finding a place to stay last minute would be impossible. We stayed in a town house with bedrooms upstairs and kitchen bathroom and living/dining downstairs. expect all the buildings to be small and the furniture slightly dated, but cosy and welcoming nevertheless.
The bookshop circuit
It's not an exaggeration to say there are about 20 bookshops in Hay. Any one of them is a fine place to start your day. You can pick up a map which numbers all the shops and gives you a little idea about what to find in each. The area you cover walking to them all is very small (Central Hay is made up of three streets which form a triangle) so you have to be really very special to get lost. Being a secondhand bookshop owner herself, my Mother knew the owner of one of the bigger shops, so we started there first.
Brunch & Lunch
The Old Electric Shop sounds like a terrible name for a business, but is one of the jewels in Hay's crown. Part cafe, part clothing boutique, part homeware shop, The Old Electric Shop came through with a London-worthy lunch (and breakfast the next day).
Hay Castle
I couldn't get into the castle because of the undergoing restorations, but I think the finished job will look amazing. The castle is medieval and in the 17th Century a Jacobean mansion house was build beside the main structure.
It's hard to say when this work will be complete, but having full site access in the first time in 800 years is something to see, so check their website for updates.
The River Wye
From the bridge you can see Wales and England and where they meet. Across the river a few kilometres up the road is the Welsh town of Clyro, while Hay sits right along the Wye riverbank.
Dogs of Hay
Another feather in Hay's hat - there are so many dogs!
Dinner
We ate at Tomatitos and at St John's Place, both on Lion Street. Two very different places, both delicious. Tomatitos was tapas-style Spanish food in a Welsh country pub setting with an open fire. The food came in small ceramic dishes perfect for sharing over a drink and some good conversation. St John's Place (just across the street) is harder to find and is only open on the weekends. It is a smaller interior, all white, with a chic but wholesome feel. The food is more gourmet than Tomatitos. A nice surprise from little old Hay.
Have you been to Hay? If not, it's worth a visit.
Thanks for reading,
x G x
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