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Hay & the Black MountainsHay-on-Wye and the Warren
Out of the back of the bookshops onto the Wye, with a shingle beach at the Warren that half the town swims from in July.
- Distance
- 2.0 mi / 3.2 km
- Time
- 50 min
- Ascent
- 25 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Leave the town centre towards the river, follow the bank downstream through the meadows to the Warren, and return on the higher path or the lane. Short and easy.
Worth knowing
- The Warren is community-owned common land, bought and kept open for the town.
- The river looks benign and has strong currents in places. Swim where others are swimming.
- During the festival in late May the town is unrecognisable and parking is a lost cause.
What you’ll see
The Wye, meadows, and the Black Mountains rising behind the town.
Background
Hay had thirty-odd bookshops at its peak after Richard Booth declared himself King of Hay in 1977. The castle in the middle of town is now partly restored and open.