Two sections with shelves and shelves of books, most worn and weathered, invite you to browse at a 24-hour open-air bookstore in the heart of Hay-on-Wye, a charming market town that’s every book lover’s dream. Operational since the 1960s, the open-air bookstore is tucked away in Hay Castle, a 17th-century fortification in the small town of Powys, Wales.
The castle, originally constructed as a ringwork overlooking the town in the early 12th century, is now a centre for arts, literature and learning. It also houses one of the 39 bookshops that serve a population of about 2,000 people. With one difference: the shop in the castle is an ‘Honesty Bookshop’. There is no till, no employees; book lovers can make their selection and then drop payments—£1 for any book—into a little black box.
Located in the historic county of Brecknockshire, the book town straddles the border between England and Wales. Apart from the low-key honesty bookstore, the charming small town is a walker’s delight. The little nooks and crannies invite you to linger as do the variety of stores sure to appeal to every kind of reader: Richard Booth’s bookshop, Hay Cinema Bookshop, Addyman Books, Children’s Bookshop, Literature Laboratory, Francis Edwards, Green Ink Booksellers, Mostly Maps, Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, C Arden, and Gay on Wye. Richard Booth’s bookshop may be the most renowned, but there are many eclectic stores: Stella & Rose’s Books offers rare print children’s books while Murder and Mayhem is a crime lover’s dream.
Hay-on-Wye wasn’t always known as the ‘town of books’. Bookseller Richard Booth, the self-proclaimed ‘King of Hay’, opened the first second-hand bookshop, The Old Fire Station, here in 1962; since then, books have become the lifeblood of the small market town. Y Gelli Gandryll, as it is known in Welsh, is also known for the annual festival of literature and ideas that the town has been hosting in May for the last 35 years.
Hay Festival—famously called ‘Woodstock of the Mind’ by former US president Bill Clinton—has successfully put Wales on the global literary map. Over the years, writers, poets, philosophers, historians, scientists, comedians, musicians and bibliophiles have congregated here. The festival has become a cornerstone of British culture, with sessions often being recorded for TV and radio programmes. Hay-on-Wye also enhanced its literary credentials by hosting How the Light Gets In, an international philosophy and music festival hosted by the Institute of Art and Ideas. Also hosted in May, it focuses on debates, discussions and music.
But there’s more to Hay than books.
The town has nearly 150 listed buildings, including the castle, St John’s Chapel, St Mary’s Church, the Swan Hotel, and quite a few inns and shops. The old buildings include the Butter Market, constructed in the form of a Doric temple in 1833, the Cheese Market, the old town hall that has now been restored as a community space; Oakfield, a Grade II-listed Regency house near the town centre, and the Victorian clock tower that was completed in 1884.
The bustling town also has its share of indie stores, antiques emporia, crafts and art galleries, pubs, restaurants, and cafes.
A rainy day is ideal for exploring the many antique shops. The Hay Antique Market, a major attraction for more than 30 years now, is situated in a medieval building and offers antiquities of all kinds. Haywain Antiques offers a range of furniture, porcelain, pictures, silverware, and oddities, while the Hourglass Collection specialises in crystals, minerals, fossils and jewellery. Head to Lot 51 to explore vintage furniture, antiques, and unusual homeware. Look through the extensive second-hand vinyl selection at Haystacks, or browse the unusual range of retro homeware, clothes and furniture at The Old Electric Shop.
Located on the bank of the River Wye, Hay-on-Wye is on the north-easternmost tip of Bannau Brycheiniog, the Brecon Beacons, a mountainous region and national park in Wales. The Brecon Beacons National Park's wide green expanses offer miles and miles of gorgeous walking trails.
A few local companies and family-run businesses provide activities to suit all ages and abilities: guided lowland walking across the region, adventure activities like canoeing archery, and riding over the spectacular scenery, or exploring the scenic surroundings of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Not to be missed is Hay Market Day. Every Thursday, for more than 700 years, the town has hosted this trading day. On offer are a diverse range of items such as local produce and hot food, artisan crafts and vintage items, and homeware and plants. Among the more than 40 traders who set up shop early in the morning, there are always a couple hawking the one thing Hay-on-Wye is most famous for: second-hand books. Books, they say, are a uniquely portable magic. And you’ll find them aplenty in Hay-on-Wye.