Wales: Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye was first - between 1135 and 1147 - mentioned as "Haya" and in 1299 the name of "La Haye" was used. By the 16th century it was simply called "Hay" and the use of the river as a suffix is a later addition

Hay-on-Wye is a small characterful market town at the border between Wales and England. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as "the town of books" and is the National Book Town of Wales. Many of the bookshops are selling specialist and second-hand books, although the number has declined sharply in recent years, many becoming general antique shops.