Hay-on-Wye,
Mid-Wales, UK |
|
Straddling the border between Wales and England beneath the foothills
of the Black Mountains, north of Breacon Beacons National Park,
is the small, picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye.
The town is
renowned for being the book capital of Britain and is a mecca
for bibliophiles, with masses of second-hand bookstores - containing
hundreds of thousands of books - littering its narrow streets.
Surrounding Hay-on-Wye are wooded hillsides,
while the town's quaint old stone buildings and winding alleys
add to its timeless charm. There is a Norman castle which, unsurprisingly,
houses a few bookshops, as well as the Jacobean mansion of Hay-on-Wye's
eccentric founding father, Richard Booth.
In 1977 Booth
went as far as declaring Hay-on-Wye an independent state and crowned
himself king, although the town is still considered to be part
of Wales. Due to its close proximity to the Brecon Beacons and
the beautiful Vale of Ewyas, Hay-on-Wye is popular with walkers
and cyclists, with Offa's Dyke Path also close by. The River Wye
runs below the town and is great for canoeing and kayaking. The
town is also host to a prestigious literary festival every summer
at the end of May (the Hay Festival of Literature), which attracts
hundreds of visitors every year.
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