Roughly this time last year in October half term I went on a family holiday to a small town in Wales called Hay-On-Wye. I'm ashamed to say that it was my first time visiting Wales, despite being 16 at the time. The town is right on the England-Wales border, so the cottage where we were staying was technically in England, yet after a 2 minute walk down the road we were in Wales again! Despite this, I can surely say that it was a town which to me represented the true rurality of Wales which I had never really experienced before.
Below are some of the pictures I took whilst there, some in Hay-On-Wye itself and the others in the surrounding countryside of the Brecon Beacons.
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| From top left to bottom right: small lanes in Hay-On-Wye, the sign marking the English border, the rest: The Brecon Beacons |
Named after the River Wye, the town lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park and is very close-knit with fewer than 2000 habitants. It is known as many by 'the town of books' as it is home to over 30 book shops stocking a variety of second hand and specialist books. There were a few other gift shops in the town and a couple of cafes, and though they were quite charming, I found as a teenager there wasn't quite enough to do. Subsequently, my family and I went to the Brecon Beacons on many occasions for long walks in the stunning scenery.
It only rained heavily once when I was there and it was quite frequently sunny, despite what people had told me the 'typical' weather of Wales was. What I noticed the most was just how cold it was at all times during the day, and when looking at the Black Mountains I could see the amount of snow beginning to increase.
I really did enjoy my trip to Hay-On-Wye, however I think that there is not enough on offer to do there which would allow me to make a second visit. I loved Wales though and it truly was beautiful scenery.
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