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Book-Lovers' Paradise in WalesHay-On-Wye and the Vale of EwyasBy Janice Rossen
At least, this is what my friend Jan advised me to do, and in the end he even drove us, on a rainy weekend in January. I had a fabulous time.
To learn about the Hay Festival, consult www.hayfestival.co.uk and also the Tourist Information Bureau at (01497) 820144 or www.hay-on-wye.co.uk York House Bed and Breakfast is located at Hardwicke Road, Cusop, Hay-on-Wye HR3 5QX, and can be reached at (01497) 820705. Their web-site is www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/yorkhouse The Penny Bun, 10 Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye, can be reached at (01497)821921 The Abbey Hotel, a hotel with restaurant, is located at Llanthony Priory. You can view information about the site itself at www.castlewales.com/llantho.html, and information about the inn can be found at www.llanthonypriory.supanet.com/webpage2.html, or by contacting Llanthony Priory, nr. Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 7NN, tel. (01873) 890487 |
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Hay-on-Wye calls itself the "Town of Books,"
and it hosts a prestigious literary festival every summer, where well-known
authors come to speak. But do not wait to travel there (in any case, you
will be hard pressed to find accommodation if you have not booked well in
advance). Hop in the car and go.
The literary fame of Hay-on-Wye rests on its
incredible selection of used books. Richard Booth (a far-seeing man) opened
his first bookshop there in 1961, and still owns the 'largest second-hand
bookshop in the world.' He paved the way for other like-minded people to
congregate with their own selections as well, and there are over thirty
separate shops. This is terrific if you like reading Good, Old-Fashioned
Stuff--imagine walking into any given bookshop in town and saying, 'I'd like
some Georgette Heyer novels, please,' and the owner will know exactly whom
you mean. I found some J.I.M. Stewart detective novels, a whole cache of
England in Pictures books (these were published in the 1940's and '50's, by
very eminent authors, and are a wonderful genre to collect), and a travel
book by Peter Green about his first adventures in Greece.
When you are tired of walking around, try
the Granary for lunch, where we had an excellent ratatouille and a salad
with bacon and mushrooms. I can heartily recommend the York House for bed
and breakfast. The owners, Peter and Olwen Roberts, served us a great
breakfast of eggs accompanied by HP Sauce (my favorite), and they have a
fluffy and aristocratic cat named Sybil. The Penny Bun, a French restaurant
in the center of town, is a good spot for dinner. The Hay Cinema Bookshop is
a honeycomb of marvelous books, and must be strolled through, simply to feel
all of those thoughts humming on the shelves.
Best of all, however, is the nearby
countryside. The Vale of Ewyas is part of the Black Mountains, and you can
drive along the narrow, winding roads and talk to the sheep, or watch horses
running wild across the hills. (Mr. and Mrs. Roberts can advise you on a
route to follow, and maps are easily available.) No trip to the historic
countryside would be complete without a ruined ecclesiastical building to
contemplate, and there is a picturesque inn, the Abbey Hotel, at Llanthony
Priory, founded in 1118, which my friend Patrick recommends highly as a base
for walking.
Wales is truly as relaxed and welcoming as
you can imagine. And you cannot fail to depart with good reading material
for many months ahead.