If you’re a book lover then you need to add Hay-on-Wye to your bucket list! This Welsh town may be small but there are over 20 Hay-on-Wye bookshops to discover.
You probably haven’t heard of Hay-on-Wye but it is often named the best book town in the world and it’s a well-deserved title.
This town is a haven for book lovers in Wales and a real hidden gem. The entire town only spans around 1km but is home to over 20 bookshops!
The first thing to do when you get to Hay-on-Wye is pick up a guide to Hay-on-Wye bookshops. The bookshops in Hay-on-Wye are all full of character and run by the friendliest bunch of people.
Plus, the prices are often super, super cheap so it’s a great place to bargain hunt.
And if you didn’t think it could get any more bookish, you’d be wrong as the town also hosts an annual literary festival, and has done since 1988!
If you’re a bookstagrammer, they also host Bookstagram Hay, which is when bookstagrammers all descend upon the town for one weekend. Fingers crossed I get to participate one day!
READ MORE: 20+ Beautiful Bookstagram Accounts to Follow
I managed to visit just about every bookshop in the centre of Hay-on-Wye during one weekend there but I’ve compiled a list of the creme-de-la-creme of Hay-on-Wye bookshops here.
They’re all very deserving of a visit though so make sure scroll through to the end where I’ve listed all twenty of them!
In addition to this, there are honesty bookshops dotted all around the town. You can read more about them in my weekend guide to Hay-on-Wye, coming soon.
Hay-on-Wye Bookshops
Richard Booth’s Bookshop
Speciality: new and second hand books of every genre, stationery, gifts, cards
I had to start with Richard Booth’s bookshop as this is where Hay’s story as a book town begins. Richard Booth opened Hay’s first bookshop way back in 1962 and over the years the number of bookshops in Hay-on-Wye has exploded.
You can see from the photo above that Richard Booth’s Bookshops is simply gorgeous with its striking facade. This bookshop is housed in a converted chapel, which seems apt as I think most people who visit this town worship books.
Whilst it looks quite narrow from the outside, this bookshop is deep and stretches back quite far from the road. There’s row upon row of bookshelves on either side of this vast chamber and you’ll want to make sure you take a look at each and every one.
If you’re anything like me though you may struggle to even make it that far as the selection of new releases right by the entrance is so good that I found myself poring over these for ages first.
There’s also an enormous basement and a top floor so you could easily spend hours in here (something I’m going to say about a lot of bookshops in this post…).
Lastly, Richard Booth’s is not just a bookshop but a cafe and cinema too. I’d recommend stopping by for some book shopping in the morning followed by a spot of lunch. Then make sure to come back in the evening for a film showing. It’s got to be done!
Address: 44 Lion Street, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5AA
Opening Hours: 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday; 10:30am – 5pm Sunday
Website: https://www.boothbooks.co.uk/
Addyman Books
Addyman Books is the first bookshop I visited In Hay and one of the most famous Hay-on-Wye bookshops. It’s one of the larger Hay-on-Wye bookshops with a room for each genre it stocks.
I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favourite room when there’s the beautiful underground room with Addyman’s iconic book arch filled with vintage Penguins, the upstairs room with comfy armchairs and rugs, the sci-fi room with a giant cut-out of Patrick Stewart in Star Trek getup, a bat cave, a Steam-Punk room and more. Each room gets more creative than the last!
There’s a mix of new and second-hand books here but I was truly amazed by the prices of all. You can get brand new books here for around half of RRP, which is even cheaper than Amazon.
I don’t know how Addyman do it but I need to come back here with an empty suitcase and a full wallet!
Don’t forget to visit the Addyman honesty bookshop or Book Passage, just outside which is a cute little passageway with books for just £1 each!
Addyman are still taking orders via their shop on Abebooks or via DMs on Instagram (@Addymanbooks).
Address: 39 Lion Street, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5AA
Opening Hours: 10am – 5:30pm every day (10:30am on Sunday)
Instagram: @addymanbooks
Addyman Annexe
Another Addyman bookshop?
Oh yes!
Anne and Derek Addyman own several bookshops in Hay including Addyman Books, the Addyman Annexe and Murder and Mayhem below.
Although Addyman Books is wonderful with its uniquely decorated rooms, I personally preferred the range of books at Addyman Annexe and came back on a number of occasions for more!
As with Addyman Books above, the prices were surprisingly low so I was hard-pressed to cut down the number of books I wanted to purchase here but I think in the end I managed to walk down with just five under my arm…
Address: 27 Castle St, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5DF
Opening Hours: 10am – 5:30pm every day (10:30am on Sunday)
Instagram: @addymanbooks
Murder and Mayhem
Speciality: Crime and horror
Murder and Mayhem is one of the best speciality bookshops I have ever visited. Outside, there’s a beautifully painted facade and inside you’ll find dark walls, mannequins, a small writer’s setup, quotes, portraits and more. The decor definitely matches the fiction as it felt very spooky indeed!
Outrageous decor aside, there are two floors of crime, horror and detective fiction to explore, including a wonderful bookshelf filled with green vintage Penguin editions, which form part of the crime and thriller antiquarian collection.
I loved the top floor which contained just about every crime and thriller series I’d ever wanted to get my hands on.
I spent a long time up here trying to decide what to pick up but thought I couldn’t possibly leave such a shop without picking up an Agatha Christie novel!
Address: 5 Lion Street, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5AA
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 5:30pm every day (5pm Sundays)
Hay Cinema Bookshop
Speciality: Second hand books of every genre
If I had to pick a favourite bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, I think it might be this one. It’s simply enormous and houses an unparalleled collection of second-hand books for you to explore.
I could spend hours and hours wandering amongst these shelves and I probably spent the most time in this shop out of all the others.
As the name suggests, this bookshop occupies an old cinema, which is why it’s so large. There are two floors of books and as soon as you enter all you see is row upon row of bookshelves. In fact, there are around 200,000 books on offer here!
If you’re looking for a specific book, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’ll be here. I found books on the most niche of topics, including a book on the history of my local school. Random!
It’s worth setting aside an hour or two to properly browse these shelves. I think I came out of here with a crook neck from walking with it bent sideways so I could read all the spines!
Again, the prices here are amazing. Although this is a second-hand bookshop, many of the titles appeared brand new and were around half the price they would be RRP.
I picked up a number of Penguin modern classics and other recent releases which were in perfect condition.
Don’t forget to check out the small branch of Francis Edwards, the well-known antiquarian bookshop in London, upstairs too.
Address: Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5DF
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm every day (11:30 – 5:30pm Sunday)
Website: https://www.haycinemabookshop.co.uk/
Hay-on-Wye Booksellers
Hay-on-Wye Booksellers is based in the centre of Hay and its beautiful timber-framed buildings give the shop an old-timey feel.
Be careful not to trip over as you walk in the door at Hay on Wye Booksellers because there are piles and piles and books on the floor as well as filling the bookshelves.
They’ve got everything here from new releases to antiquarian collector’s editions so I have no doubt that you’ll find something for you.
By the door, there’s a large figurine of a man a tall stack of books from his dangling arms all the way up to his chin and that’s probably exactly how you’ll be leaving this shop. For a taste of what’s on offer, check out their website, linked below.
Address: Gipsy Castle Ln, Farm, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5PW
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday; 9am – 5:30pm weekends
Website: http://www.hayonwyebooksellers.co.uk/
The Old Electric Bookshop
Speciality: New Books
The Old Electric Bookshop is the newest bookshop in Hay-on-Wye and opened its doors in October 2019. It’s an offshoot of the popular cafe and shop called The Old Electric Shop (it’s easy to confuse the two!).
There’s a small collection of books here too and the owners received so many compliments on it that they decided to open their own store!
This was definitely the right decision in my opinion as the selection at The Old Electric Bookshop is wonderful. They stock new books in a wide variety of genres and the collection here has clearly been carefully curated.
There are thought-provoking editions of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Themes include race, feminism, the environment, nature and more. I wanted to snap up every title!
As well as books there is a lovely selection of stationery, gifts, mugs and cards on offer.
The interior decor is beautiful and it feels a bit like browsing in an aesthetic living room. The walls are painted a blush pink, and there are loads of indoor plants and even record players dotted around.
I’d also highly recommend stopping by The Old Electric Shop for a spot of vegetarian lunch. After filling your bellies you can browse the store which sells books (of course), as well as vintage clothing and homeware.
Address: Carlton House, The Pavement, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5UR
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesday, Wednesday)
The Children’s Bookshop
Speciality: second-hand books for children
The Children’s Bookshop is the only speciality bookshop for children in Hay-on-Wye and an absolute must if you’ve got kids of your own or are looking to buy some presents for children.
There’s a large collection of second-hand titles, most of which are very cheap, making it the perfect place to replenish your kids’ libraries without breaking the bank.
I was pleased to see they stock my all-time favourite series as a child: The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton.
My Dad and I looked high and low for second-hand editions of every single title in the series but alas we could not find them all in our local stores. If only we’d known about the bookshops in Hay-on-Wye back then!
Browsing these shelves felt like stepping back in time and there is a huge range of books including those that were first published a century ago to more modern children’s classics such as Harry Potter and Horrid Henry.
NB. The Children’s Bookshop is a little way out of the centre so you won’t stumble across this one if you’re wandering around the centre of Hay-on-Wye. Look it up on a map before you go and add it to your bookshop list!
Address: Toll Cottage Pontvaen, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5EW
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 5:30pm Monday to Saturday
Website: https://childrensbookshop.com/
Broad Street Book Centre
Broad Street Book Centre is unique in that it houses a number of different independent bookshops. In fact, there are almost twenty little bookshops in this building.
Hay-on-Wye really is stuffed with bookshops and Broad Street Book Centre is the bookshop that keeps on giving!
The inside is split into lots of small “rooms” and in each, you’ll find yourself surrounded by bookshelves.
Space is quite tight so it’s the kind of place where you’ll have to squeeze your way past people to get to the next shelf and be careful not to knock over a pile of books. But that’s what I loved about it!
Expect to find a wide range of material here from general fiction to fishing to motorsports to history to science fiction to travel to music. I could go on but there really is a huge range of niches to be found here so you’ll have to discover them all for yourself! All second hand.
Address: 6 Broad Street, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5DB
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm every day
North Books
One of the newest additions to Hay-on-Wye is North Books, which opened in late 2022. It’s a beautiful little bookshop specialising in an interesting range of titles: from new fiction to fantasy, young adult, and contemporary female fiction, it stock everything I love.
What’s more, this bookshop is committed to sustainability and works to ensure that its goods and suppliers are as sustainable as possible. To match this, there’s also a selection of environmental and nature books with a sustainability focus.
For those who believe that coffee and books are the ultimate pairing, you’ll be pleased to hear that North Books also has a coffee bar!
Address: 4 Castle St, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5DF
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm every day (except Tuesdays and Sundays)
Website: https://www.northbooks.co.uk/
Haystacks Music & More
Speciality: vinyl record shop and second hand bookshop
Haystacks has the funkiest and funnest exterior that’s bright purple and sparkly so you can’t miss it.
It’s tucked away in a small square and is one of the smaller bookshops in Hay-on-Wye but it’s a must for music and theatre lovers.
There are tonnes of vintage CDs and records to be found in the centre of the room as well as books about music going around the walls.
However, I found myself drawn to the section featuring written plays. There are so many nice vintage editions by Penguin to be discovered here and playwrights from Shakespeare to Bernard Shaw and more. And lots of these were only £2!
Address: 2 Castle Wall, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5EQ
The Poetry Bookshop
People always say to me that they wish they read more poetry but they never find the time to.
Well, take one visit to The Poetry Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye and you might find yourself inspired.
This bookshop is dedicated entirely to poetry and the shelves are packed full of second hand and collectable editions.
There’s something so romantic about vintage poetry editions because it adds that extra layer of history to them and I loved browsing these shelves.
I challenge you to browse the beautiful vintage section by the front window and not mentally add each and every one to your imaginary shopping basket (and hopefully at least one to your real one too!).
In addition to these old tomes, there are new editions of old poems and recent releases too.
Not sure if poetry is for you? There’s a nice chair waiting for you so you can sit and browse for a while until you’re sure. Don’t be afraid to ask the staff for help finding something either as they’re very friendly!
Address: Cranbourne House The Pavement, Lion St, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5BU
Opening Hours: 11am-5pm Monday to Saturday
Clock Tower Books
Similar to Broad Street Book Centre above, Clock Tower Books houses a number of different independent bookshops selling a range of books from different genres. These bring everything from military to architecture to country sports to railway books. It’s another store for niche hunters.
As per usual, I was drawn to the general fiction and fantasy sections and they’ve got a large number of fiction books arranged alphabetically. I also loved browsing the old comics section, which I hadn’t seen yet in Hay-on-Wye!
Address: 5 Market Street, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5AF
The Story of Books
**Sadly The Story of Books closed in March 2020**
Speciality: Printing press
The Story of Books looks so quaint and charming that I fell in love before I stepped over the threshold. Indeed it sums itself up well in the writing above the window: where stories are told and books are made.
Downstairs the books are proudly displayed with their covers facing forwards on the shelves. There are books lining the shelves, the fireplace, the old tables as well as in baskets.
Since we were visiting in December, the downstairs collection involved a great selection of books and anthologies around the theme of Christmas and Winter, which I loved.
The real reason to visit however is Balch & Balch private press bookshop located upstairs. It’s the only bookshop of its kind in the world.
I adored this section which is wonderfully curated and features some seriously impressive works by expert letterpress printers. These titles are very expensive but would make for lovely gifts if you’ve got the budget.
What’s more, the owner was so kind and introduced us to the different areas of the store, giving us some background to what was on offer, which I really appreciated!
Address: 20 Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5DF
Website: https://thestoryofbooks.com/
Now would you believe that there are even more lovely bookshops in Hay-on-Wye that I didn’t manage to mention in this post? Here’s a master list below so you don’t miss out on any during your trip to Hay.
List of Hay-on-Wye Bookshops
- Richard Booth’s Bookshop
- Hay Cinema Bookshop
- Addyman Books
- Addyman Annexe
- Hay-on-Wye Booksellers
- Gay on Wye Bookshop
- The Old Electric Shop
- The Literary Laboratory
- The Children’s Bookshop
- Francis Edwards
- Clock Tower Books
- Broad Street Book Centre
- Green Ink Booksellers
- North Books
- Hancock & Monks Music
- The Old Electric Shop
- Outcast Books
- Haystacks Music & More
- The Poetry Bookshop
- Tangled Parrot (Eighteen Rabbit)
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For more UK bookshops and beyond, check out these guides:
Bookshops in Oxford
Bookshops in Cambridge
Bookshops in York
Bookshops in Bath
Bookshops in Edinburgh
Bookshops in Norwich
Bookshops in Brighton
Independent Bookshops in London
Specialist Bookshops in London
Second Hand Bookshops in London
Bookshops in Dublin
Bookshops in Amsterdam
Bookshops in Paris
Bookshops in San Diego
This post was updated in March 2023.
Laura
Editor of What’s Hot?