24 Hours in Wales - Romantic Getaway in Hay on Wye & The Bulls Head

24 Hours in Hay-on-Wye: Books, Bakeries and The Bulls Head.

There’s something very satisfying about a weekend away that doesn’t require taking Friday off work, navigating an airport or spending half the trip getting there. Hay-on-Wye is just far enough from Bristol to feel like a proper escape, but close enough that you can leave on Saturday morning and be home again on Sunday evening with a car full of books, crumbs and a feeling like you've juiced the weekend.

Day 1: Bristol to Hay-on-Wye

Rather than heading straight from Bristol to Hay, make the drive part of the weekend. Cross into Wales and aim first for Abergavenny.

A lovely detour is Sugar Loaf Vineyard, just outside Abergavenny. Stop for a look around, a coffee or a tasting if timings allow, and enjoy the fact that this already feels considerably more weekend-ish than pulling into a Costa on the M4.

From here, continue towards Hay-on-Wye, with the roads and feel the city smog clear from your nostrils.

Coffee, markets and a slow afternoon in Hay

Once you arrive in Hay, park the car and forget about it for a few hours. The town is compact, walkable and best explored aimlessly.

Start with coffee somewhere in the centre, maybe a pastry at BAKA or something from the Hay Deli before wandering around the market stalls if you’re visiting on a market day. Hay’s markets are a mix of food, makers, antiques and other small traders, ideal for a lazy browse amongst the small independent shops like Small Stories, Farmers Store and The Odd Electric Shop.

Then comes the main event: the bookshops.

Trying to visit every bookshop in Hay is both unnecessary and potentially financially ruinous. Richard Booth’s is one of the obvious landmarks, while Addyman Books is exactly the sort of place where you can disappear for far longer than intended.

From Hay to The Bull’s Head

By late afternoon, leave Hay behind and drive out towards The Bull’s Head in Craswall, tucked into the Black Mountains.

This is so much more than just somewhere to sleep. The Bull’s Head is an old Drovers Inn and farmhouse, complete with flagstone floors, a traditional bar, an open-fire dining room and views across the Black Mountains. Behind it are four bespoke cabins, so you can eat and drink yourself silly and roll to your room without having to go anywhere else for the evening.

The cabins are exactly the sort of place you want for a one-night countryside escape: secluded enough to feel special, but with the pub only a few steps away.

There’s even an on-site wood-fired sauna if you want to lean fully into the weekend-away mood.

Saturday night: dinner at The Bull’s Head

Head back to the pub for dinner, not because its close, because its unreal, the focus is on ingredient-led cooking and produce sourced largely from Wild By Nature’s own regenerative farm and a network of small local producers. The restaurant’s seasonal à la carte menu has also been recognised by the Michelin Guide and honestly we can see why.

Expect the sort of food that feels perfectly suited to the setting: seasonal, local and unfussy, accompanied by low-intervention wines, local cider and Herefordshire ales.

Dinner is served on Saturday evenings, and booking ahead is definitely worth doing as it gets busy.

Afterwards, it’s only a short walk back to the cabin. Open one of the books you bought in Hay, listen to absolutely nothing happening outside and enjoy the fact that there’s nowhere else you need to be.

Day 2: Breakfast in Bed & An amble around The Black Mountains

Make the most of the delicious breakfast hamper in the Cabin and enjoy a slow breakfast with the most beautiful view. Head for a walk around the Black Mountains or head back towards Hay and to the Wye if you're feeling the need to explore the water.

Walk down to the River Wye

One of the loveliest things about the town is how quickly bookshops and cafés give way to woodland, paths and water. Within minutes, you can be walking alongside the Wye.

If the weather is warm, keep an eye out for a stretch of riverbank where you can sit for a while or find one of the little beach-like areas beside the water.

If you want something more active, this is also the perfect place to book a kayak or canoe and see the Wye from the water. A couple of hours paddling is a brilliant way to spend Sunday morning before lunch.

One last coffee at The Treehouse

Finish the weekend at The Treehouse Cafe, tucked among the trees beside the River Wye. It’s exactly the sort of place you want for the final stop of the trip: coffee, cake, river views and no particular urgency to start the drive home. Sit outside if its sunny, and if you're in luck The Pizza Box will be serving up some specials.

Twenty-four hours earlier, you arrived with an empty boot.

You'll leave with a stack of books, a full stomach and a strong suspicion that one day you might both want to move there...