Hay-on-Wye: the town of books

Hay-on-Wye: book lovers paradise

What makes for a great story? Castles and medieval times, the regent Victorian era, or how about an eccentric town figure that declared himself king and lived to tell the tale? Well there such a town that has a unique story. On the English/Wales border, settled along the winding River Wye is a town known for its love of stories, more specifically books.

Hay-on-Wye has over 30 bookstores and honesty shops that carry every conceivable topic you dared dream of reading! What's more, Hay-on-Wye has many stories of its own that make it characteristically unique and interesting! Fun fact, about 10% of Hay-on-Wye is actually in England, the other 90% in Wales. It's true, on our way out, we saw the 'Welcome to England' sign. And that's just one thing we learned from our tour guide, Martain, who was absolutely brilliant and entertaining!

Thursday, my friends and I took a tour of Hay Castle. It is mostly ruins and was left in despair; however, a trust was recently set in motion to restore the castle and preserve its history (we had to sign a waiver stating we were entering at our own risk and the property would not be liable should we be injured).

Like most English histories, the Normans play an important role in shaping the past. The Normans first swept through England in 1066, and it was around the early 1100s that they reached the Welsh border and the first castle, a motte and bailey castle was built. It is said that William the Conqueror had difficulty in taking Wales, 1) because of the terrain, where England is flat, Wales is mountainous, and 2) the Welsh simply didn't like the idea. William gifted lands along the England/Wales borders to numerous barons with the stipulation the barons kept the Welsh out of England, and if they should be successful invading Wales, all lands they capture would belong to them.

The present castle was built c. 1200, a short distance from the first after it was destroyed. The castle has been destoryed and rebuilt many times over. King John destroyed it in 1216; however, legend has it, the castle was rebuilt overnight by Maud de St. Valery, wife of William de Breos, by carrying stones in her apron. The castle went through a series of attacks, fires, and successions over the years; ownership changing hands many times over. Additions were made, a manor house in the 1300s and a Jacobean style mansion during the first half of the 1600s.

     Photo by: T.M.  

     Photo by: T.M.    

During the 1600s, ownership of the castle belonged to a wealthy family, the Gwynn family. The day Queen Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife to King Henry VIII, was to be beheaded, it is said Anne removed from her person, a miniature whistle, her first present from the King, and bestowed it to Captain Gwynn saying she would no longer have use for it.

The castle in Victorian times had many a party and visitors, one being a poor curate that may or may not have inappropriately fancied young girls. However, one of the most notable persons of Hay-on-Wye is Richard Booth, self proclaimed 'King' of the town.

In 1962, Richard Booth opened the first secondhand bookstore, and 10 years later the town had become a Mecca for book lovers, boasting 40 bookstores. April 1, 1977, Richard Booth declared Hay-on-Wye an independent kingdom, he as king and his horse as prime minister. He also went on to claim his own air force (a remote control plane) and navy (his personal boat on the river Wye). This eccentricity brought the town lots of attention, good attention! Former president Bill Clinton reportedly said during his speech during one of the annual Hay Festivals of Literature that Hay-on-Wye is the Woodstock of the mind. Richard Booth is still currently living, although he has since sold his bookstore, only to open a new bookstore called King of Hay.

Richard Booth's store, like others such as the Hay-on-Wye bookstore, Hay Cinema bookstore, and others offer a variety of genres and topics ranging from new to used to antiquarian. However, there are some bookstores that specialize in a particular genre. Murder and Mayhem is for the crime and horror enthusiasts; beware the ever ongoing crime scene! A white chalk body outline is a brilliant and thrilling aspect to the themed bookstore! The Poetry bookstore is for those that love the written word in iambic pentameter or haiku format. The Oxford bookstore houses mostly the historical and scientific works, just to name a few of the shops.

Photo by: T.M.

Another story our tour guide spoke about was the town was originally called Hay (not on-Wye). However, there was also another town called Hoy and both Hay and Hoy's mail would continuously get sent and delivered to the wrong place. A mailman in Hay, fed up with the occurrences, petition to have the town called Hay-on-Wye to avoid further confusion. 

Books aren't the only things to be found in Hay. There are also a number of antique, charity, and gallery shops to browse as well. There's a market every Thursday (and Friday?). Nearby, you can rent a canoe and travel the river Wye, check out a Cider Museum, horseback riding adventures, hiking the Black Mountains, and more; maybe to try out the next time we visit ;)

Another fun fact, Hay-on-Wye is twinned with Timbuktu! Also, driving to/from Hay-on-Wye, was pretty epic! The roads are narrow and winding. Sometimes the road would take us up and up and all of a sudden we just seemed to pop over the top! Crazy fun and scary!

Lastly, I want to mention the delightful apartment we enjoyed while we explored this literary town! The apartment is built inside the wall surrounding the castle, excellent location to the centre, and was very tidy and clean. We absolutely loved the place and would recommend anyone wanting to spend time perusing Hay to book this location. The Sandwich Cellar right outside the apartment has some delicious scones and a very reasonable priced cream tea! The Three Tuns is the oldest pub in Hay-on-Wye and has some delicious foods and drinks! Also, Shepherd's Ice Cream has some yum, delicious ice cream, try the toffee honeycomb! Also, high quality coffee as my friend had several, and the sip I enjoyed was very pleasant (and I'm not particularly fond of coffee)!

I can honestly say this was the most pleasant trip I've taken. Everyone was outgoing and friendly. One of the shop keepers told us that the town was half "newcomers" which created and eclectic variety of people. The only downside is that come 5pm, the town is deserted and not much activity. However, it wasn't a challenge for us book lovers to just stay in and enjoy our new found treasures!

Geilenkirchen, DE & Amsterdam, NL

Germany

Once again, I found myself in Germany for a softball tournament. This time, near Geilenkirchen. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very cooperative for softball or camping! Though it's quite smaller an not as pretty as Trier, the city is still charming and quaint. I greatly enjoyed strolling around the city and had the most wonderful breakfast at Cafe Schleypen! About the only wonderful experience during the tournament.

The weather proved to be as bipolar as that of England. About a week prior, I began checking the weather which was full of potential for a nice weekend. However, as it drew near, rain chances increased. And rain it did! While it wasn't so bad playing in the rain, camping was another story. It was quite difficult trying to stay warm after continuously being drenched, and the mud was miserable. Sunday though, the clouds gave way to some sun and warm weather. We finished our tournament early and packed our belongings and booked it to a nice cozy hotel in Amsterdam, fully equipped with beds and dry floors.

Amsterdam

The rain seemed to have followed us to Amsterdam. Our last hope for a sunny day, or at least a day without rain, was in vain. It rained the whole day! Luckily, for our group, we booked a bus tour so we weren't always walking in the rain to our destinations. The city is beautifully blended mix of old and new and just has an abundance of charm. Some of the houses are very crooked!

Now, some people associate Amsterdam with cannabis and prostitution. Yes, one does smell odors and see shops carrying all kinds of exotic goods. The Red Light District area is known for such; however, there is much more: the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank's House, Rembrant's House, Tulip Festival, diamonds (Amsterdam is called the city of Diamonds), etc. We saw some of these historic places, which due to the weather and limited time, we didn't really experience. We did tour the diamond company, Gassan. It was pretty interesting. We got to see some of the workers polishing diamonds and got an up close look at various styles (cuts, clarity, etc); one even worth €14,000! I'll take 2 please!

Because of the rain, we opted to eat and drink our way through Amsterdam. I highly recommend Bierfabriek for it's amazing, delicious, tender, farm bbq chicken and beers, Brouwerij 't IJ microbrewery for the beers and windmill (the last windmill within the city of Amsterdam). We also stopped at Rembrant's Bistro which was pretty good too! I enjoyed my pancakes cooked with bacon and sweet wine!

Despite the rain, the trip overall was fun! It's one that (eventually) will be looked upon in amusement on surviving the miserable, torrential downpours. However, it's the people that make the adventure, and I know some pretty great people!

East Anglia Distillery and Vineyards

Chilford Hall Vineyard

Chilford Hall Vineyard is one England's oldest vineyards and one of the largest in East Anglia. There are approximately 17,000 vines and 9 varieties. From the grapes to the glass, all is done at Chilfor Hall. The winery building at Chilford was rescued from near Linton as it was scheduled for demolition in 1976. There are several tour options available and the vineyard is open March- Oct. Thursday- Sunday (Mar/Apr Saturday and Sunday only). Just a short trip from Cambridge. Just beware, there were several signs posted that thieves operate in the area...

English Whisky Co. St. George's Distillery

England's first traditional whisky distillery in over 100 years! The last English whisky company ceased operations in 1905, most likely due to high taxes. 100 years later, the idea to re-establish English whisky began and in 2006, St. George's Distillery brewed it's first batch resulting in  29 barrels. The whisky is made by hand without the use of computers in copper stills made in Scotland. The whisky is then stored in oak barrels purchased from America, specifically Jim Beam in Tennessee for maturation in bourbon soaked barrels. Some whiskys are also matured in sherry barrels as well. The barley comes from East Anglia, of which, Norfolk is a major producer and the distillery rests atop an aquifer which provides plenty of water. The ground is chalky which supposedly results in a smoother and sweeter finish to the whisky compared to Scotch whisky's harsh burn. 

I would highly recommend a tour with Joy. She will tell you that she doesn't like whisky, but don't let that put you off. She is quite knowledgeable and entertaining. On the tour, you are told the history of the place, people, and whisky. The tour takes you around the copper stills and fermentation process, to the barn where the barrels are stored (of which 2 are were purchased by the Queen's son Prince Charles and are stored there), and ends in the main shop where you get to sample a few selections. 

Wyken Vineyards

Saturdays, Wyken vineyards hosts a farmer's market next to their farm shop/cafe. Also at Wyken, several variety of grapes are grown to be made in to wine. While the grapes are grown here, they are then shipped elsewhere to be made into the wine that is sold at Wyken. There is a public footpath to the vineyards that you can walk to as well as a few farm animals to enjoy. When we visited, they were shearing sheep. They do have wine tasting, but only if booked in advance. 

Framlingham Castle

Framlingham Castle

The castle is situated in the market town of Framlingham and is part of the English Heritage Trust. The town of Framlingham is adorable! We had a fantastic brunch at The Teashop (No. 10). There are also several antique stores and charity shops, and a lovely looking secondhand bookstore that was closed when we visited (disappointing, but another trip may be warranted).

Framlingham castle is an early motte and bailey built during the time of the Norman takeover. The time in which it was built has been speculated by historians with various theories as to Framlingham's early history as it was destroyed by King Henry II as punishment for a revolt against the king.

The castle was eventually rebuilt and passed through many hands over the years. Framlingham did play a part in the War of the Roses between the Yorks and Lancasters and has ties in the battle for the crown between Elizabeth and Mary Tudor. A supporter of Mary, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, Thomas was supposed to be executed at the Tower, but the day prior, King Henry the VIII died. Mary's brother, Edward VI gave the castle to her. Mary gathered her supporters at Framlingham and marched on London. She released Thomas as reward for his support. However, Mary was overthrown by Elizabeth at which time the 4th Duke was residing at Framlingham, accused of treason and executed. Framlingham then passed to possession of the crown.

After such, the castle mostly fell into ruins. It was later gifted to Pembroke College in Cambridge for studies, and later to the English Heritage to promote tourism. There is a lovely walking path around the castle and the chimneys were fascinating. There were only 2 or 3 chimneys that actually worked; the rest were decoration, aesthetically pleasing and intricate decorations.