- Liberty Nimmo
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Discovering Hay & Beyond: Liberty Nimmo's Recommendations for the 2025 Literary Festival
15th May 2025
As the new kid on the block here in Herefordshire it has been an absolute joy to start discovering this beautiful, rural pocket. I’m under no illusion that my ‘finds’ of the last few months are in fact, age-old places and things of great beauty, as well as institutions that have long been serving up delicious fare. Alongside doing lots of mountain stomping and poking my nose into various churches, I seem to have timed my move rather well, as the Hay Literary Festival is due to take place from 22 May – 1 June 2025. I’ve no doubt it will be as interesting, engaging and enlightening as ever.
If you’re wanting a bank holiday escape this Spring, or indeed, if you’re due to visit the Literary Festival, here are some of the treasures I’ve found, as well as just a handful of wonderful things I’m looking forward to seeing at Hay – my thoughts on the festival are by no means exhaustive so do take a look at the full programme here:
Climb Cat’s Back
The Black Mountains mark the gateway to the Brecons and the border with Wales as Offa’s Dyke Path runs across the top. On a clear day, you can see the Cotswold escarpment and Clee Hill up in Shropshire and out to Mount Snowdon from the top of Hay Bluff. Shaped like, you guessed it, a cat’s back, and also known as The Black Hill, this is one of the slightly less steep parts of the mountain to climb and loping down to Hay Bluff and back is easily do-able. For those feeling more ambitious and with a sarnie packed for fuel, you can loop around to descend at Little Daren but I reckon this would be a 6 or 7 hour job so not for the faint hearted. This is a popular walking route.
Hay Festival: Robert Macfarlane – Is a River Alive?
17:30 Thursday 22nd May
Robert Macfarlane will be returning to Hay this year to share stories and insights from his new book Is a River Alive? The ancient idea that rivers are living beings is taking on a new meaning and relevance within the world today as, in his new book, Macfarlane explores the idea that our fate may be inextricably linked to that of our rivers. He speaks and writes beautifully and is top of my list to see.
Hay Festival: Simon Jenkins – A Short History of British Architecture
17:30 Thursday 29nd May
The historian Simon Jenkins will be leading us through the twists and turns and potential near misses brought about by the modernists in 20th Century British cities. Luckily for us, Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden are all still standing. Jenkins will be talking us through this turbulent and exciting social history whilst placing it within the context of the future preservation of buildings and what form new buildings should take.
Hay Festival: Bette Adriaanse and Brian Eno – What Art Does
20:30 Saturday 24th May
Why do we need art? What does it do for our communities and how can it transform us? In this strange world, I think these are increasingly necessary and important questions to ask. In my own social re-imagining, nurturing creative thinking is a necessary part in how we can restructure our communities, alongside the need for a better understanding of a sense of place. Both these things need Art as the shared catalyst. I’ll stop there before I tie myself up in a knot, but, suffice to say, I look forward to this one.
Visit Dore Abbey in Abbeydore
Dore Abbey was founded in 1147 by the Cistercians who had made their way here from France and in those days, it was absolutely vast, home to many a monk and a whole team of workers in the gardens and orchard. Since then, it’s had bits added on, bits taken off and in more recent years has come to be used as the parish church and is frequently host to wonderful concerts as well as evenings of Taizé chanting. The abbey has been the most welcoming community and the Easter Sunday 5.30am service by the fire with the accompanying dawn chorus and coffee was quite something to behold. If you’re wanting to do a pilgrimage, the abbey is part of the circular pilgrimage route that starts and finishes in Hereford and runs through the Golden Valley. So long as I continue not to burst into flames, I’ll be doing this soon.
I know this sounds trite but visiting this church is a spiritual experience. Sitting on a South-facing slope looking out to Sugar Loaf and accessible only via footpath or a narrow meandering lane, the main feature is the huge 15th Century screen made from Irish bog oak. These intricate carvings are considered some of the finest pieces of medieval Welsh art. I spent about half an hour there with the fire breathing dragons, St Mary and St John before turning round to see Father Time frescoed on the wall behind me. I always love seeing Father Time in all his eeriness. I could have sworn that on leaving, I had a very long chat with the lady who does the flowers but it may have all been an illusion; there is certainly some magic in the air here.
Stay in a bothy
Now – I appreciate this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I’m cautious in fact as I write this and, full disclosure, I’ve not done it. There is however a very charming looking bothy at the top of Grwyne Fawr Reservoir in the mountains. It does come with a warning; it looks very tiny but I think the views and position above the reservoir are what would seal the deal for me. The good news for those who think this sounds a terrible idea is that the reservoir is not a huge walk and is just over an hour from the Mynydd Du forestry car park down a straightforward path. So, worst case scenario you can always walk there, have a gander at the reservoir and head back to base.
If the bothy idea sounds a bit of a mis-fire (quite understandably), but you still want to be in the wilds of the Black Mountains, Ritty Retreats have two very charming and comfortable log cabins that could be just the ticket. With views out to Hay Bluff, these definitely tick the box of being out in nature but still have all the comforts. Phew. There’s still a tiny bit of availability just before the festival if you want to get in for a few nights of R & R pre-swatting up.
Hay-on-Wye Market
The market at Hay runs every Thursday and the first Saturday of the month in the mornings. It’s small but perfectly formed with excellent veggies, kimchees, cheeses, cider (obvs), fish, honeys, beautiful woven baskets and some very good bakery bits. There is all you could imagine from a lovely local market and, if you’re in the mood for some antiquing, keep your eyes peeled and have a wander through town. I came back with some very nice wine glasses for an absolute steal and wasn’t left feeling overrun by it all as can so often be the way with some of these hotspots.
Lunch at Post
Post is the newly opened bottleshop and restaurant by Ben Thompson and Florence De Mare in Newnham-on-Severn with chef Frederick Page at the helm. It’s the perfect pitstop. Either collect a few jars of cider or wine or, better still, if you're coming from Gloucestershire, the M4 or Bristol, why not stop for lunch as you make your way into Herefordshire. While I think about it – it’s probably worth stopping there for lunch on the way back too.
Open Thursdays – Sundays 12pm – 10pm.
The Bull’s Head at Craswall
This well-known pub has been on the list of most major reviews and it’s easy to see why. The food is very good, the atmosphere is everything you’d want from a pub and it is set within a backdrop of the Black Mountains. Plus, if you don’t feel like driving after lunch, there are a few cabins by Wild by Nature on the doorstep. They now run a monthly Lunch Club in an ‘agritourism’ style which champions all of their local suppliers and all things local, seasonal and artisan are on the menu. Very nice too.
Open Wednesdays from 3 – 11pm and Thursday – Saturday from 12 – 11pm.
Llanthony Priory is well known but could hardly be left off this list. Nestled in the Vale of Ewyas, the Priory was founded in about 1100 and, with its mix of Norman and Gothic architecture, it became one of the great Medieval buildings in Wales. The works all continued into the 1300s before it fell into decline with the Dissolution of the Monasteries – Henry VIII really does have a lot to answer for. There is now a small hotel and very charming pub below the abbey serving lunch and dinner which is a blessing after scaling the mountains. It does get very booked up and timings can vary so do get in touch or you’ll find yourself out in the camp site, which is no bad way to go either.
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