Hay-on-Wye, Monmouthshire
An absolute must for bookworms in a town that straddles the borders of Monmouthshire and Powys. Park up in the big car park, cross the road and wander down the narrow alleyway to the town. A little network of streets leads you around and about, and you’ll notice several one-off independent shops and lots of bookstores – over 30 in fact! Go to Booths, browse the shelves and have a coffee; wander down to the Old Electric Shop for quirky retro finds and delicious vegetarian food, or go to the Arts Centre for a relaxing vibe and gorgeous salads, pizzas and burgers. For a good atmosphere and tasty homemade pub grub head for the Blue Boar or the Old Black Lion where they have live jazz on a Friday night. Every year in May lovers of literature flock to the town for the world famous Hay Festival.