Despite living on the internet most of the time, I love ‘wooden’ books. They never run out of battery and you can usually drop them in the bath without electrocuting yourself.
By extension I love bookshops, especially used ones (or ‘second-hand’ in UK English) when everything is piled into wonky old buildings in a bibliophile fire hazard hell. Cute.
Hay-on-Wye is full of such bookshops crammed into its narrow medieval streets. It calls itself the “Town of Books” and it became an official Book Town in 1961.
It’s in Wales (though technically a small corner of it is in England, but I have no desire to start an argument about it).
If you’re planning to travel any sort of distance to get to Hay, you’re probably wondering, as I did – is it just an overpriced tourist trap filled with overrated secondhand bookshops, or is it really worth a visit? Jack and I went for the day to find out.
Here’s a complete guide on whether to go or not, and what to do when you get there.
Is Hay on WYE worth visiting?
Look, I’ll give you the summary first and if you decide you do want to visit, much practical advice will follow, including the all-important where to get a good coffee. You’ll need one to tackle dozens of creaking stairwells.
Bear in mind I’m talking about a ‘normal’ day out, here – if you’re interested in the Hay-on-Wye Festival, then scroll down for more info on that since it’s a whole different chapter (geddit?)
This seems crashingly obvious but you’ve got to love books to make a visit to Hay-on-Wye worth it. If you only have a passing fondness for them, it’ll be harder to justify.
There is a river walk, a castle, and lots of galleries and gift shops if you need to drag someone with you who doesn’t want to sniff and fondle books all day, but really, they’re the main draw.
Reasons to Visit Hay on Wye:
- If you love books, go! It’s pretty much the only way to hit several quirky used and new bookshops in a day without driving everywhere
- Lots of local history (and a castle)
- Quaint/cute narrow streets and buildings (if you like that sort of thing)
- Plenty of parking at a decent price (unusual for a small town)
- Good lunch options – more on this later, so you can make a day of it
Reasons Hay on Wye may not be worth it:
- Bit of a drive from most places since it’s in the middle of the countryside (some people might put this as a plus, I suppose) – average distances are covered later in this article
- If you have mobility problems then many of the shops might be tricky because of their age – lots have stairs, winding narrow corridors and are on low to medium gradient hills
- If you think that used books means bargains, you might be disappointed
- Can get crowded at weekends, holidays and during the Festival
In summary, while no true book fanatic would miss making a pilgrimage here at least once, Hay is really a one-trick pony. We spent four hours wandering the streets and took an hour for lunch, which is probably enough.
That should help you make your decision, so here’s a load of practical information from our own visit, if you decide that yeah, it’s worth it.
How Many Bookshops Does Hay-on-Wye Have, Then?
The sheer number of bookshops here is astounding, even though they’re now down to about 20 or so, from previous numbers of about 35 (blame the internet… cough, evilBezos, cough cough).
You can’t walk five feet without stumbling upon another shop, even if it’s literally a hole in the wall. For hardcore bibliophiles who get high off the smell of old books, it’s like mainlining.
But look a little closer and you’ll notice that many of the shops sell similar books – I kept seeing the same titles over and over. And the prices! Don’t expect any bargains. I paid £9 for a book that was £4 online, but that’s the point – these bookshops have overheads that online shops don’t, and buying from them keeps them going.
Most of the fun is in the browsing. Still, both of us bought something we were looking for, so that’s a result.
The Best Bookshops in Hay on Wye (and their specialisms)
When I researched Hay-on-Wye (look I’m just going to call it ‘Hay’ from now on, as the locals do) I got annoyed with some of the other blogs covering it because they just list the same bookshops.
Fact is, some of the bookshops have specialist niches, so if you’re looking for something in particular, this would be good to know. I was looking for music biographies, for example, and Jack is into mountains and sailing, so we went for the non-fiction ones more. There’s no shortage of fiction, if that’s what you’re after. Plus many shops also sell new books, too.
Here are some (but not all) of the “best” Hay bookshops, including the ones we visited. None of them seemed to have cats, which is, of course, a crushing disappointment.
Richard Booth’s Bookshop
This shop was owned by Richard Booth, the self-proclaimed “King of Hay” who put the town on the map back in the 1960s. Definitely worth a visit to admire the sheer scale of it.
They have old and new books across three floors, with a large academic-type section towards the back. Has a lift/elevator too, which is unusual. Lots of research and textbook-type stuff, here.
There are armchairs upstairs for holding your bent wrist to your perspiring forehead and muttering about first editions.
Be warned, though, it can get absurdly crowded on weekends. Also creaky as hell so if you’re sensitive to endless squeaking floorboards, bring earplugs. Seriously. It must drive the staff mad.
Hay Cinema Bookshop
The Hay Cinema bookshop is – duh! – located in a former cinema, so it’s huuuuge. Has an extensive collection of film, TV and popular culture books. Very good non-fiction section here, and niched down to extremely weird stuff.
They also have a big section that has old maps and charts, so if you’re into geography, atlases and all that stuff, pay this one a visit.
Murder & Mayhem
Murder and Mayhem specialises in crime fiction and mysteries. If you’re into that, or just want to buy all the eighty bazillion books Agatha Cristie churned out, then you’ll love it.
I appreciated the sense of humour in the shop, too:
There is a very nice, friendly lady running it. Always a plus, since some booksellers seem inexplicably grumpy (blame Amazon, not me, mate!)
The Poetry Bookshop
The Poetry Bookshop is a floor-to-ceiling splurge of poetry collections. Lots you’ve heard of and many you haven’t. That said, I couldn’t find my favourite obscure Austrian poet Erich Fried, so I’m hard to please.
It’s the sort of place you find Leonard Cohen fans staring morosely into the middle distance, being pushed past by excited followers of Sylvia Plath. In other words, my kinda place. Both new and used books here.
Addyman Books
Like Richard Booth’s place, Addyman is one of the “classic” Hay bookshops that you’ve got to visit. I liked the vibe in here. It’s best for antiquarian books, first editions and maps (meaning: bring lots of money).
What’s nice is that they also sell new books in creative or stylish editions, like the current crop of Chiltern Classics, which make good gifts for bookish people you love despite the fact they didn’t bother coming with you to Hay.
Addyman also has a little-known extra bit, called their Book Passage (though some of their signs said Back Passage, honestly) where the books are a quid each.
Once you’ve chosen your cheap bargain in the back, you pay for it round the front. Such is life.
North Books
A fairly recent bookshop that only deals in new books. So, this really isn’t a shop to get those second-hand bargains, it’s more suited to finding gift books and the like. There are a lot of children’s and young adult books here, if that’s your jam.
On top of that, they sell “beautiful things” (again, new) like candles and ceramics (though you wouldn’t sell second-hand candles, would you?).
Despite their whole newness vibe, they do let you browse and touch the things, so that’s nice. Way better than those passive-aggressive signs you sometimes see in bookshops saying that if you want to browse, feck off and do it in Waterstones. North Books also specifically carry Welsh literature and local author’s books as well.
Gay on Wye
Gay on Wye had just opened when we visited, and you can’t miss it – a splash of colour and cheer in a town of parchment and ink. In case you missed the subtle clues, this is an Independent LGBTQ+ bookstore. Thomas Owen, the founder, wants it to become a “vibrant hub for the community and allies”.
It’s mostly new books here, though other bookshops have been working together with Gay on Wye to curate or improve their own secondhand LGBTQ+ book sections, which you can find in places like Clock Tower, below:
Clock Tower Books
Clock Tower specialise in the weird, unusual and rare book market – so if you’re fed up of seeing the same old dog-eared biographies by has-been BBC presenters, it’s one of the rare shops where you’ll find interesting things not stocked by other booksellers. They also do author events and will post books within the UK for free.
Which Hay Bookshops Buy Books?
The next few bookshops on my list are ones that say they will also buy books from you, in case you’re travelling to Hay to ditch some instead of buying more.
Remember that booksellers are usually interested in rare, antiquarian, or unusual editions. If you’ve got a scabby 2015 paperback of The Da Vinci Code then just go do everyone a favour and chuck it in the book bin in the car park (yep, there is one).
Also, it’s very likely that most of the bookshops in Hay will buy books, if it’s something they’re interested in, even if they don’t explicitly say that they buy books. They’re not daft. Don’t expect retail prices, though – they’ve got to add their markup and make a profit to cover the overheads of keeping an old, rotting building going.
Hay on Wye Booksellers
This shop has been around forever (ok, 40 years or so) and they’re one of the bookshops that actually buy books, should you have some first edition Harry Potters lying around, as we all do.
They have fully embraced the internet and have an extensive catalogue on Abe as well. Despite their sign, they do carry new books, too.
Green Ink Booksellers
Green Ink is fairly new, and does a good trade in rarer books. Their specialist subjects are history, philosophy, fiction and kid’s books – which they have a decent collection of down the very steep stairs.
Green ink will also buy books. I know this because I unknowingly sold one to them online and saw it locked in one of their special cabinets. Such good taste I used to have. Anyway, I do like their motto: “Intellectual recycling”.
After all this browsing you’ll probably start wondering where to have lunch.
Where to Eat on Hay on Wye
There are a bunch of good places to eat in Hay but I’ll be honest, I was motivated, as usual, by the standard of the coffee more than anything else.
Jack and I ate at the Bean Box, which is a marvellous secluded garden with seating, hidden on the banks of the river. They do coffee, served out of a little cabin, and there’s a bloke there making epic grilled cheese sandwiches. I had the spicy one with jalapenos in.
If it’s honking down with rain then you might not want to sit in a garden, but there’s yet another bookshop there as well, with some very ooooold stuff, mostly centred around religion, geography and academic topics.
If the weather is crap then I suggest going to our second choice, The Cosy Cafe, which is where we collapsed and drank tea and ate Bara Brith. Not a single cafe I found had Welsh cakes, which is a travesty. Bara birth is a good second, though. It’s like a Welsh tea bread fruitcake thing.
We didn’t eat any of the food there and my lemon and ginger shot was pretty much lemon, so I dunno how good it would be. There’s a very good ice cream shop too called the Shepherd’s Parlour, but I didn’t have room.
How to get to Hay from Bristol, London, Cardiff or Hereford (and further afield)
Arriving by car is by far the easiest way to get to Hay. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Bristol down the M4, 2 hours from Cardiff, and a scenic 45 minutes from Hereford.
Coming from London by car will realistically take you 5+ hours plus thanks to the usual M25 hell, so you may want to take the train from Paddington to Hereford, then catch the 39a or T14 bus to Hay, which takes around an hour. Frankly, if you’re coming from London you really should stay overnight and do everything more slowly.
If you insist on making a literary pilgrimage from further afield, your best bet is to take the train to Hereford, then grab the above bus to Hay. Be aware the bus only runs a few times a day though, so plan accordingly.
Driving is so much easier if you can swing it. The scenic drive through the Welsh countryside is part of the whole Hay experience. Though take it slow around all those blind bucolic curves; hitting a sheep would really put a damper on your lovely bookish getaway. Suicidal sheep are on the bloody roads all the time, eating grass next to belching vehicles instead of their lovely wide-open fields, so look out for them, wontcha.
There’s a huuuge and reasonably priced car park opposite the library, on Oxford Road.
Hotels to stay in at Hay on Wye
We drove there and back in a day so didn’t stay in a hotel. That said, if I were to pick one, I’d get one that is actually in town, so you don’t have to drive back and forth on country lanes in the dark, plus the added bonus of being able to drink some very good Welsh craft ale and stagger back to wherever on foot.
Here are my top picks based on what I usually look for via Booking.com reviews of places:
- The Old Black Lion: Charming old coaching inn. Rooms are modestly appointed but comfortable. The downstairs pub is lively and serves above-average pub food.
- The Swan at Hay: A 19-room independently owned hotel in a Georgian building, with a restaurant. Free parking.
- There are too many apartment rentals/flats to list here, but lots of them are now on Booking.com as well.
Budget-minded travellers can also consider staying at one of the area’s campsites because there are loads of them in the Welsh countryside. Up to you if you want to get your books, and yourself, sodden. Just kidding.
All About the Hay on Wye Festival
Every May, Hay kicks into high literary gear for its annual Festival, started in 1988. This globally-renowned 10-day celebration of literature, music and the arts draws huge crowds. Bill Clinton famously called it “The Woodstock of the mind.” There are also mini-events too, usually a weekend in Winter.
Expect pop-up stages hosting author talks and readings at every turn. The main events take place in a tented village near the centre of town. There are literally hundreds of events to take in, from intimate author panels, to concerts, workshops, and film screenings.
Past speakers have included Margaret Atwood, Stephen Fry, Ian Rankin, Nigella Lawson, and basically any well-known living author you can think of. Book tickets months in advance – you’re up against serious literary stalkers.
You can also get “Hay Player” now, which has recorded replays of most of the events, for £15 a year. Much better if you don’t feel like physically going to Hay.
Accommodation prices also shoot up obscenely during festival time. For that reason, if you’re not enamored with the festival then avoid Hay during festival week. But do pencil it in for your bucket list if world-class literary events are your thing. They do other events across the world now, too, under the “Hay” branding. You can find these on the festival website.
So, is Hay on Wye worth it? I’d say yep, it is, for a fun day out with books, coffee, Welsh food, bonding with everyone you meet by slagging off Bezos, and feeling all warm and literary inside.
