I drove to visit towns on each side of Welsh border but made one big mistake

Wales Online

a day ago

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As I live not far from the A470 in the north then the usual trip to the capital is straight down the middle of Wales - remaining on that very same road for all but a couple of miles. But I recently decided to mix it up and have a little explore on the border.
In part it was to scratch a particular itch to visit the nation's book capital Hay-on-Wye - a place I had read and seen so much about but never ventured. I thought I would take in another spot on the way down and went for Ludlow in Shropshire, with its castle and historic centre.
Compared to the A470 the border route is straighter but busier - so any time you gain in faster stretches is lost in queues. It's about a two and a half hour drive from Conwy to Ludlow without breaks so I was ready for a paned when I arrived.
Unusually for me it was just myself on the trip rather than with all or any of the family - or some mates. This made it quieter and cheaper and I could pick my own in-car listening. It means you can quietly take things in, but you also miss the banter and sharing the experience, so swings and roundabouts.
I parked up in the centre of the town and took a signposted walk around the castle walls. This fortress was built to secure the border against Welsh raids.
It was erected by the de Lacy family - starting back in 1085 - with Walter de Lacy part of William the Conqueror invasion force in 1066. Huge town walls were added in the 13th century with Ludlow Castle stood within the circuit of the walls.
(Image: Getty Images)
The place isn't up there with the grandest of the North Wales castles but still an impressive sight.
I walked down to a little cafe next to the River Teme - enjoying a coffee and sandwich in an outdoor area overlooking the water.
(Image: Getty Images)
I then wandered to Broadgate, the sole surviving medieval gate and in this area you can see some sections of the remaining town wall.
The whole place oozes history and apparently there are almost 500 listed buildings in the town, with medieval and Georgian buildings in the centre. I'm not a huge shopper but did appreciate some of the shop windows and boutique stores.
You could easily stay longer but my itinerary demanded I move on and it was back in the car for hour long onwards journey to Hay-on-Wye.
This trip sees you cross the border back to Cymru - with Hay-on-Wye sitting literally just on the Welsh side. There is actually another castle with its origins back in the days of Norman conquest and quelling Welsh rebellions. Hay Castle was later strengthened in the 12th century and a mansion added in the 17th Century.
(Image: Getty)
The site was mainly derelict at the start of the 2000s but has been revived by the Hay Castle Trust and is now an arts and literature centre.
However I was not here for the castle and parked up to explore some of the more than 20 bookshops in the town.
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
It is named the 'World's First Book Town' - its book themed revival inspired by Richard Booth from the 1960s.
He had read about some libraries that were closing down in America - went out there with some friends, where they crated up thousands of books and shipped them home. He opened his own second hand bookshop in the former fire station in 1961. This inspired others and soon books from across the world were flowing into the increasing collection of bookshops in the town. It is of course also now famous for its annual Hay Festival.
With so much choice it is hard to decide where to start and I went for instinct over any research and popped into one that for no conscious reason drew me in. You can then easily get lost in these places with narrow aisles and towering bookshelves.
I was not after anything specific so it was very much a pick and see approach before something sparked. It was one of four bookshops I went into and it was lovely to speak to a couple of the owners/staff and ask about recommendations. I ended up with a book per shop before deciding to do something a bit different.
After a day in my car or walking around towns I felt like a nature inspired pick-me-up and had heard about The Warren - a riverside spot for walking or wild swimming. I had some gym shorts with me and decided to go and have a short dip, the cold water a tonic for a sore back from driving.
After drying off it was back to the town centre for a quick coffee. Sitting there as the evening drew in and a further couple of hours of driving ahead I thought about my big mistake.
(Image: Getty)
I really should have booked a night - ideally with other people/ person. There was a lovely atmosphere in the town and finishing off the day with some food and a few drinks would have rounded off a fascinating day.
This is though a very good excuse to come back.