East Beacons Accommodation

Hay-on-Wye - secondhand book mecca

The former cinema now a huge bookshop - full to the brim with books

Hay-on-Wye's picturesque town centre

Hay Castle - yep you guessed it, another bookshop!

Plenty of B&Bs in the town centre

It's not all books - other shops include bric-a-brac, posh frocks & gift shops

Hay on Wye books, Hay on Wye Tourist Guide, East Breacons, Mid Wales UK

Are you a lover of second hand book shops? Yes, no doubt you've heard about Hay-on-Wye books and bookshops! There's around 41 bookshops at the last count in Hay on Wye. For a full list of bookshops in the town see the Hay on Wye official Tourist guide weblink right. Hay on W hosts the 10 day annual Hay Festival, one of the UK's most popular literary festivals pulling in some big name literary and musical celebrities.

Hay-on-Wye Tourist Information Centre, Oxford Road, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire. Tel: 01497 820144.

Hay-on- Wye Books, Hay on Wye Festival and Tourist Guide

The centre of Hay on Wye bustles with numerous bookshops, the first of which opened in 1961 and since then the town has successfully marketed itself on books, and the castle. There's also a choice selection of restaurants and Camra listed real ale old pubs. Checkout both the Three Tuns on Broad Street and the Blue Boar on Castle Street!

It seems that everything that closes gets turned into a bookshop, for example the redundant cinema on Castle Street is now the Hay Cinema Bookshop. The Hay-on-Wye Festival (see weblinks right for details) takes place at the end of May/beginning of June annually. The hub of the Hay Festival is now on Dairy Meadows, an enormous field spread with marquees with books, more books and yet more books. For keen readers and literary fans it's somewhat of a mecca, attracting in the past the likes of Bill Clinton who has deemed the Hay Festival as 'The Woodstock of the Mind'. Hey dude, things have become a little more commercial these days! Checkout the Hey Fringe festival website right for more attention to the books than the celebrity! Plenty going on for kids too at the Hey Festival.

You've the best of both the river and rugged rural world if you base yourself in Hay-on-Wye. The Brecon Beacons National Park is just on your doorstep, as are numerous kayak and canoeing opportunities on the River Wye.

For more information on how the Hay on Wye books and bookshop extravaganza all started, see the King of Books' weblink - Richard Booth - right. Today it's the largest Second Hand bookshop in Europe!

Family Canoeing and Kayaking on the River Wye

Have you considered a family canoeing or kayaking holiday on the River Wye. It's a beautiful, peaceful river, perfect for leisurely family or group canoeing holidays. Spend a day or even a week canoeing or kayaking along the River Wye.

A selection of companies offer canoe or kayak hire on the River Wye, for example Paddles and Pedals based in Hay on Wye (see weblink right for details). The River Wye is one of the few rivers in the UK you can navigate without restriction - leisurely, gentle canoeing or kayaking along 100 miles of stunning river and countryside.

Celtic Canoes, Specialising in Open Canadian Canoeing on the River Wye. Based in Glasbury-on-Wye which is around 5 miles outside of Hay on Wye. Tel: 0845 257 8626. Website is linked right. Also in Glasbury, a centre for canoe hire along the River Wye, is Wye Valley Canoes, The Boat House, Glasbury-on-Wye. Tel: 01497 847213. See there website right for more details. They offer Canadian canoes, double kayaks and single kayaks for hire. Half day and full day canoeing is available, as are training courses and group trips.

Paddles and Pedals, Canoe Hire and Cycle Accessories, 15, Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5DF. Tel: 01497 820604.

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