マイケルチャーチエスクリーの洞窟・トップ5

Although there is not much left of the castle, this is an atmospheric place that is well worth the detour from the trail. It also looks like many of the stones from the castle were borrowed to build the nearby farm!

City of old white people. The whole thing has little to do with a romantic book village, antique shops and cafes characterize the townscape together with congested streets

Hay-on-Wye is an attractive, traditional and vibrant small town set in a delightful location on the Wales-England border. It has narrow sloping streets, a notable 13th-century castle and a world reputation for books! With over 20 bookshops for a population of just 2,000, Hay-on-Wye is often described as the ‘town of books’. The town makes a fine stopping point on any long-distance walk or hike. Offa’s Dyke Path and the Wye Valley Walk pass through Hay-on-Wye, and the town is overlooked by the glorious Black Mountains to the south and by the green rolling hills of Powys to the north. As it is easy to spend time browsing and purchasing items from the Hay-on-Wye bookshops, please remember that if you are on a long-distance hike you may have to carry the books that you buy!

you can walk through to see the keep but when we were there (Nov 2022) it was having some restoration work done so you can't go right up to the keep

Clifford Castle is a Norman motte and bailey on the River Wye. It was built in 1070 but was reinforced at points throughout the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The castle fell into disrepair during the 15th century and was systematically demolished for building stone. However, there are still considerable ruins to observe today. The castle is open for 28 days per year, listed on the castle's website with at least one month's notice.

Yes that’s right, it’s a castle…

Hay Castle was built in the 11th/12th century and has suffered a turbulent history. Now, it offers good views from the highest points, a nice cafe and it's free to enter. A guided tour is £5. The Jacobean mansion that is alongside the keep has been restored to form a centre for arts, literature and learning. The castle first opened to the public in May '22.

Ice-cream. Coffee. Pretty town. Lots of books. Great for a mid-ride snack, an emergency stop, or to just roll through on the way home.