Hay on Wye: A nook in history on my travel wishlist
Hay on Wye is a quaint little town in Wales, most commonly known for its Hay On Wye Literary Festival. This town of books is on my travel wishlist
Hay-on-Wye literally means a fenced enclosure on the river Wye. The name derives from Norman origin, Hay or Haie, meaning a fenced or hedged enclosure. ‘Y-Gelli’, the Welsh form, means ‘Grove’.
Claim to Fame
Hay on Wye is a “town of books”, with at least 41 separate bookshops (mostly second-hand / antiquarian / collectors) and is also known as the second-hand-books capital of the world. More so its famous for Hay on Wye Literary Festival held here every year.
Whereabouts (history geography)
The nearest city is Hereford, county town of Herefordshire, some 22 miles (35 km) to the east. The town was formerly served by Hay-on-Wye railway station, which closed in 1963 under the infamous Beeching Axe. Hay has approximately 1,900 inhabitants. Hay-on-Wye is a destination for bibliophiles in the United Kingdom, with over thirty bookshops, many selling specialist and second-hand books.
Location
The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is situated just within the Welsh side of the border with Herefordshire, England, which is defined by the Dulas Brook at this stretch.
How to reach
Best way is to drive from London (4-5hrs)
What more: Beyond Books
Builth Wells: A historic market town 19km from Hay.
Llandrindod Wells: A Victorian spa
Swansea and the Gower Peninsular, Wales’ maritime city: wonderful beaches and excellent recreational facilities. Swansea is a three hour train journey on the Heart of Wales Line from Llandrindod Wells.
Castle: Anyone strolling around the town cannot fail to notice the gateway of the Norman castle which towers over the narrow streets lying beneath its walls. This castle replaces the earlier and much smaller castle built on an artificial mound close to Hay’s parish church in St Mary’s Road. This ancient mound can still be seen.
The history of the town and the castle are inextricably bound together since William de Breos II, one of the most infamously treacherous of the Norman Marcher Lords, built the present castle c.1200. According to legend, the castle was rebuilt in one night by the wife of William de Breos, Maud de St Valery (also known as Moll Wallbee), carrying the stones in her apron.
Hay Festival
Since 1988, Hay-on-Wye has been the venue for the Hay on Wye literary Festival, which happens over 10days from May to June. The festival was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as “The Woodstock of the mind”.
The festival has expanded in recent years and now includes musical performances and film previews. A children’s festival, “Hay Fever”, runs alongside the main festival. It has also expanded internationally and sister festivals take place in Nairobi, Zacatecas, The Maldives, Kerala, Beirut, Belfast, Cartagena, the Alhambra Palace, Parc Prison in Bridgend and Segovia.
Trivia
Hay-on-Wye is twinned with Redu, a village in the Belgian municipality of Libin, and with Timbuktu, the ancient city in Mali, West Africa
You can find some more information on the official Hay on Wye website – http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/
Source: All of the above is based on my secondary research of Hay on Wye and I hope to write a personal account of visiting Hay on Wye, soon.
