The Swan at Hay

The Swan at Hay is a privately-owned hotel and restaurant in the Marches town of Hay-on-Wye where warm a warm welcome and good food await you. Standing alongside the glorious river Wye, Hay-on-Wye retains all the charm of a late Georgian, early Victorian market town. With its markets, book shops, boutique-style shops and access to the unrivalled scenery of The Black Mountains and Welsh Marches, Hay-on-Wye is the ideal base for your short break. A fine grade-2 listed Georgian coaching inn, we continue to improve and upgrade The Swan, establishing it as one of the premier hotels in the Welsh Marches. Both the décor of the refurbished rooms and the menus in the dining rooms and bistro reflect the wonderful produce that is to be found locally.

As the original ‘Town of Books’ and home to the annual book festival in May, this small town on the England-Wales border has now achieved international recognition. However, it is not just for books and the arts that you visit Hay-on-Wye. Situated within the Brecon Beacons National Park, this is an ideal base from which to walk and explore the glorious hills of The Black Mountains. Fishing on the river Wye, canoeing, gliding, long-distance cycling and horse riding are all offered locally.

For the less energetic, the Welsh Marches, the hard fought-for and largely undiscovered border country, is a true gem with ruined Norman castles and rural churches waiting to be discovered. Cross the Gospel Pass into the hidden Hondu Valley where you will find the ruins of Llanthony Priory and the beautifully crooked Cwmyoy church. Alternatively, visit Hereford, a city dominated by the 12th century cathedral, home to both the Mappa Mundi and England’s largest chained library or travel a little further to Ludlow and en route visit Croft Castle and Berrington Hall, two beautiful National Trust properties.