Towns & cities · Mid Wales
Hay-on-Wye
Also known as: Y Gelli Gandryll
Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often
Alan Hughes — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–6 h
- Free entry
About
Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a "town of books"; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the site of the annual Hay Festival. The community had a population of 1,675 at the 2021 census. The town is twinned with Redu, a village in the Belgian municipality of Libin, and with Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa. Hay-on-Wye is often named as one of the best places to live in Wales and has been named as one of the UK's best Christmas destinations.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Hay Butter Market, established in 1830, serves as a covered market for local traders and farmers. It is located in the center of Hay-on-Wye and is available for hire, attracting both locals and visitors.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a "town of books"; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the site of the annual Hay Festival. The community had a population of 1,675 at the 2021 census. The town is twinned with Redu, a village in the Belgian municipality of Libin, and with Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa. Hay-on-Wye is often named as one of the best places to live in Wales and has been named as one of the UK's best Christmas destinations.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The village of Llanigon is about 2 miles south-west of the town of Hay-on-Wye. Before the Norman Conquest, Hay-on-Wye was part of the parish of Llanigon. The church of St. Eigon (possibly identified with Saint Eigen) in Llanigon was the principal church for the area. This was because the settlement in Llanigon predated the settlement in Hay-on-Wye. ]] Brycheiniog (an independent kingdom in Wales) was conquered between 1088 and 1095 following the second Norman invasion of Wales. The Norman invaders were led by Bernard de Neufmarché, a marcher Lord. He divided Brycheiniog into smaller lordships, which were gifted to the knights who contributed to the conquest. The Llanthomas lordship (in…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.0750, -3.1250
- District
- Powys
- Parish
- Hay
- Postcode
- HR3 5BL
- Parliamentary constituency
- Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
- Opening
- Thursdays and most Saturdays and holiday weekends; closed after WWII until 1985
- Official site
- haywarren.org.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Hay-on-Wye (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Hay Festival
Other places · 0.0 km
Richard Booth's Bookshop Cinema
Cinemas · 0.0 km
Cheese Market, Hay-on-Wye
Historic houses · 0.1 km
Broad Street Clocktower
Natural landmarks · 0.1 km
Hay Cheese Market
Farmers’ markets · 0.1 km
The Chair
Galleries · 0.1 km
Seven Stars
B&Bs · 0.1 km
Hay Market
Farmers’ markets · 0.1 km
The Geddes Gallery
Galleries · 0.1 km
Hay & Cusop War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Hay Castle
Castles · 0.1 km
St Joseph's RC Church
Historic churches · 0.1 km
Hay-on-Wye is located in Mid Wales. Our guide lists N attractions within reach.
At a glance
- Constituency
- Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
- Top categories near here
Things to see in Hay-on-Wye
134 attractions within 12 km — showing the 24 most editorially-significant. Full guide: things to do in Hay-on-Wye →
📷 3
📷 3Castles · Mid Wales
Bronllys Castle
Bronllys Castle — Grade I listed castle in Powys, Wales, UK.
📷 5Castles · Mid Wales
Clifford Castle and Barbican
Clifford Castle and Barbican — building in Herefordshire, England, UK.
📷 3Forests & woodlands · Mid Wales
Glasbury Cutting Nature Reserve
Glasbury Cutting Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
📷 3Castles · Mid Wales
Hay Castle
Hay Castle — castle and Jacobean mansion in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales, UK.
📷 3Cemeteries · Mid Wales
Hay-on-Wye Cemetery
Hay-on-Wye Cemetery is a cemetery in the United Kingdom.
📷 3Castles · Mid Wales
Llanthomas Castle Mound
Llanthomas Castle Mound — castle in Powys, Wales, UK.
📷 3Chapels · Mid Wales
Methodist Chapel
Methodist Chapel — chapel in Clifford, Herefordshire, England, UK.
★ Iconic📷 3Abbeys & priories · Mid Wales
Parish Church of St Eigon, Llanigon
Parish Church of St Eigon, Llanigon — grade II listed building in Llanigon, situated on rising ground in an elevated position overlooking Llanigon.
📷 3Theatres · Mid Wales
New Plaza Cinema
New Plaza Cinema in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 3
📷 4
📷 4Heritage railway stations · Mid Wales
Talgarth railway station
Talgarth railway station in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 4
📷 4Historic houses · Mid Wales
Llangoed Hall
Llangoed Hall in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 3
📷 4Memorials & monuments · Mid Wales
Great Porthamel Farm and Gatehouse
Great Porthamel Farm and Gatehouse in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 4
📷 5
📷 4Heritage railway stations · Mid Wales
Boughrood & Llyswen railway station
Boughrood & Llyswen railway station in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 5
📷 4
📷 3Forests & woodlands · Mid Wales
Hay St Marys F.C.
Hay St Marys F.C. in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 4National parks · Mid Wales
Llanigon
Llanigon in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
Nearby
📷 5📷 5Cinemas · Mid Wales
Richard Booth's Bookshop Cinema
Richard Booth's Bookshop Cinema — a cinema in wales mid.
📷 4Historic houses · Mid Wales
Cheese Market, Hay-on-Wye
Cheese Market, Hay-on-Wye in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 3Natural landmarks · Mid Wales
Broad Street Clocktower
Broad Street Clocktower — a other in wales-mid, United Kingdom.
📷 5Farmers’ markets · Mid Wales
Hay Cheese Market
Hay Cheese Market — a UK farmers' market in wales mid.
📷 3Galleries · Mid Wales
The Chair
The Chair — a gallery in wales-mid, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Hay-on-Wye
Places to stay
📷 7
📷 5
📷 5Campsites · Mid Wales
Riverside Glamping by the Wye
Riverside Glamping by the Wye — a campsite in wales mid.
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5Campsites · Mid Wales
Hay Outdoor Training
Hay Outdoor Training — a campsite in wales mid.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5
📷 7
📷 5
📷 4
📷 5Historic pubs · Mid Wales
32 and 33, Church Street
32 and 33, Church Street in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · Mid Wales
The Royal Oak Public House Including Rubblestone Wing To East
The Royal Oak Public House Including Rubblestone Wing To East in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
More towns in this region
📷 4Towns & cities · Mid Wales
Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi — village and community in Gwynedd, Wales.
Flagship📷 3Towns & cities · Mid Wales
Aberporth
Aberporth — village and community in Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
📷 4Towns & cities · Mid Wales
Borth
Borth — village and community in Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Flagship📷 5Towns & cities · Mid Wales
Caersws
Caersws — village and community in Powys, Wales.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Hay-on-Wye?
- Hay-on-Wye is in Mid Wales, United Kingdom (postcode HR3 5BL), in the parish of Hay.
- What is Hay-on-Wye?
- Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often
- How do I get to Hay-on-Wye?
- Drivers can use postcode HR3 5BL.
- Is Hay-on-Wye a protected site?
- Yes — Hay-on-Wye is part of the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Hay-on-Wye?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode HR3 5BL. It sits within the Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe parliamentary constituency.