Hay-on-Wye

Since 1988, Hay-on-Wye has been the worthy venue for a literary festival which draws over 80,000 bibliophile visitors over 10 days at the end of May / beginning of June, in order to buy books, attend book launches and to see and hear big literary names from all over the world. High profile visitors to the Book Fair have included former US President Bill Clinton.

By car

From London, follow the M4 motorway over the Severn Bridge to Junction 24 (at Newport). Take the A449 and then the A40 to Abergavenny. Stay on the A40 until just after the village of Crickhowell, then turn right onto the A479 to Talgarth. From here take the road sign-posted to Three Cocks & Hay-on- Wye (A4079 end then right onto the A438), on reaching Three Cocks stay on the same road and continue on into Hay (B4350).
Alternatively, take the M40 to the outskirts of Oxford and then the A40 to Cheltenham and onto Gloucester, stay on the A40 around Gloucester and on to Ross-on-Wye. At the Wilton roundabout outside Ross take the A49 to Hereford. From Hereford, take the A438 towards Brecon. On reaching the village of Clyro, turn left onto the B4351 into Hay.

By train

The most convenient train station to Hay-on-Wye for travellers from most of the United Kingdom is some 22 miles east at Hereford. For those coming from Wales, other nearby stations are at Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells.

By bus

Bus service number 39 runs from Hereford via Peterchurch. There is a stop for Bus 39 located on the road just outside the train station in Hereford. The journey takes one hour and runs several times a day Monday to Saturday.
As of April 2009 the times of departure from Hereford were 8:35, 11:35, 13:35, 15:55 and 17:45 during Saturday
Bus from Hay-on-Wye runs only three times on Sundays. As of April 2009 the bus 39A times of departure were 11:45, 14:35 and 18:05.
The bus stop in Hay-on-Wye is located near the tourist office, on Oxford Road; the stop for the bus going back to Hereford is located across the road from the tourist office.

• Hay Castlemedieval fortification and 17th-century mansion house

• Offa's Dyke Pathpasses through Hay-on-Wye, presenting the opportunity for a hike, either north or south.

Events

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• Books, of course! Numerous outlets exist....
• Clothes. There are a number of independent shops selling clothes and shoes.
• Music - CDs, second-hand sheet music and books about music from a couple of specialist shops.
• Antiques;
• Art and crafts by local artists;
• Teddy bears and jigsaws.

• The Old Black Lion

  phone: +44 844 288 0711
  address: 26 Lion St, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5AD

• Three Tuns

  phone: +44 1497 821855
  address: Broad St

• Rhydspence Inn

  address: Whitney-On-Wye
  A 14th Century Country Inn situated on the Welsh border of the Wye Valley, the Rhydspence Inn enjoys magnificent views of the Welsh hills and picturesque Herefordshire countryside.

• The Swan at Hay

  phone: +44 1497 821188
  address: Church St
  A cosy hotel in the middle of town that does seriously good food (the chef trained in France). The garden is

*the* place to enjoy a drink or bite to eat in the summer - absolutely beautiful.

Accommodation options abound in and around Hay-on-Wye, although travellers to the annual festival should note that there is a dramatic increase in room rates during this period. Staying in a nearby town is also an option.

• Kilverts Inn

  phone: +44 1497 821042
  address: The Bull Ring

• The Baskerville Arms Hotel

  phone: +44 1497 820670
  address: Clyro

• Builth Wells. An historic market town 19 km from Hay.
• Llandrindod Wells. A Victorian spa
• Swansea and the Gower Peninsula. 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.