A Bookish Day Trip to Hay-on-Wye
Exploring the World's First Book Town
Almost one year ago, we moved back to the UK after living in Vienna for 5 years. One of the things that got me through the stress of an international move and house renovation was creating Google Maps lists of Bookish locations.
First on the list of my ‘must-go’ destinations was Hay-on-Wye. In fact, I felt like I couldn’t truly call myself a book lover without visiting the ‘World’s first book town.’ Located on the English / Welsh border, we found the perfect opportunity to go whilst visiting family in Swansea.
We unwittingly stumbled upon Trericket Suspension Bridge before we reached Hay. Built in the 1930s, travelling across the single-file bridge was quite the experience. Thrilling and slightly terrifying in equal turns, it was the perfect storybook start to a bookish day out.
The Children’s Bookshop
Our first official stop was The Children’s Bookshop - although we almost missed this treasure trove as it isn’t in the centre of Hay. The selection was incredible with a lot of harder to find novels lining the shelves. When I did my research on Hay, this was the bookstore I wanted to visit the most. I even timed our visit to coincide with opening days as the store is only open from Tuesday to Saturday.
The owner was friendly and helpful, taking time to show my youngest children the books they were searching for. Despite being the only customers in the shop, the owner didn’t hover over us.
I was ecstatic to find a copy of Lewis Carrol’s complete works which was identical to one my grandma gifted me for my 1st birthday. My original copy hadn’t done well after years spent in the garage so aside from the cover and inscription, I had to unfortunately throw out my own mouldy version. I have felt sad about that recently so I was happy to buy the book back again.
The books were reasonably priced, considering. Many of the books were intended for collectors but we still managed to find a few bargains, including some vintage Mallory Towers books and The School at the Chalet series I’ve been searching for.
As you can see from the photographs above, there was shelves upon shelves of beautiful vintage books available.
Whilst I did love this bookshop, I would advise caution before blowing the entire budget (if this is your first stop). In Hay itself there are plenty of books available for children at a lower price.
Be aware that it is quite hard to park at The Children’s Bookshop and it’s a little too far away from the main town to walk.
Hay -on-Wye Centre
Once we arrived in Hay on Wye itself, we were pleasantly surprised by the ample parking spaces available. I had assumed that visiting at lunchtime during the school holidays would mean circling for a space, but there were plenty to be found at the main carpark (located right next to the craft centre and tourist information).
After strolling around Hay and soaking in the atmosphere, we visited the Broadstreet Book Centre . Whilst one of the smaller bookshops we visited, there was plenty of choice for secondhand books at a really reasonable price. My daughter ended up buying several books, including Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little.
We made a quick pitstop in The Granary for coffee and cake, before visiting the British Redcross Bookshop. Standalone charity bookshops are something of an institution in the UK and there is always a bargain or two to be had. This was the cheapest bookstore we found on the day and was again ideal for children’s books. When we visited, they had an excellent collection of Famous Five Books.
Next up was The Literature Laboratory, located on market street. Specialising in children’s books, wellbeing and unique gifts, this was one of my favourite places. All of the books were brand new - so you won’t find a bargain here - but it was great for picking up gift books and bookish memorabilia.
No trip to Hay is complete without visiting Richard Booth’s bookstore. Richard Booth was dubbed ‘The King of Hay’, and bought the shop after running out of room for his huge book collection. Located on Lion Street, the store is an absolute treasure trove of new and second-hand books. Locals dub this place ‘the world’s biggest secondhand bookshop’ and they are probably right. The store itself is spread over three floors, so you could easily spend the entire day there.
One of the more unique locations we visited was the Honesty Bookshop in the grounds of Hay Castle. Unfortunately we had ran out of coins by this point, so we didn’t buy any books here - we’ll know better for next time!
Other bookstores worth a mention were Clocktower Books, Addyman Books and North Books. Whilst both Clocktower and Addyman specialised in beautiful secondhand collectors books, North Books had a fantastic selection of contemporary, new fiction. And it was at North books that I bought my final purchase - a brand new tote bag to carry all the books in!
Good to know before you travel:
Hay is a small town and it’s good to know that some of the bookstores aren’t open every day. If you have a specific place in mind that you desperately want to visit, check the opening times first.
There aren’t many public toilets around. The only one we found was right by the carpark. Whilst I don’t begrudge them for charging (apparently the facilities are in danger of closing), they cost 30p and don’t give any change. There were no attendants available when we visited and it wasn’t ideal trying to get two young children through the gate.
Parking was good, the parking machines were pretty slow. They do take cards, but it’s probably best to take some change for parking too.
We visited with our three children, and they were welcomed, however I would love to go back another time without them so I can browse at leisure. I’m not being mean, but navigating some of the stores with the narrow shelves and rare books was a little stressful at times!
Whilst Hay-on-Wye is a bookish town, it is also so much more than books. There are plenty of beautiful independent stores and antique centres to browse. If like me, this is your thing, allow additional time to explore.
All in all, we spent around 4 hours in Hay, but we could’ve easily spent an entire weekend there. I’m hoping to go back very soon!
Finally, if you are heading on to South Wales after your trip, set your Satnav via The Brecon Beacons. I hadn’t visited since my own childhood and the scenery was just breath-taking!
Have you visited Hay?
If you’ve visited Hay-on-Wye, I’d love to hear from you. Do you have any additional recommendations on bookstores or places to explore? Let me know in the comments.
Google Maps Links
Whilst I’ve linked all of the places we visited, I thought you might also appreciate the Google Maps list I created.
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