EXPLORE, EXPLORE, EXPLORE

Woodside Bolthole is 3.5 miles from Hay on Wye. You can walk there in less than two hours or it’s 10 mins in the car.

Hay is home to the famous Literary Festival which kicks off in late May and is packed with wonderful independent shops, cafes and galleries. Stock up on local cider, Welsh cheeses and Black Welsh Mountain smoked fish at Hay Deli, get lost in books and have a coffee at Booths, browse artwork at The Table, lick an ice cream at Shepherds (sheep’s milk and flavours from mint choc chip to vanilla and Lebanese coffee), buy a sheepskin or vintage Welsh blanket at The Great English Outdoors. Browse cool homewares at Days or The Old Electric Shop, grab some vintage glam get up at Bain & Murrin’s, catch a band at The Globe, bag some Alex Gooch bread and Moroccan slippers at the Thursday market…Hay is compact, friendly and the perfect for mooching.

Walks - We’ve got all the local walking books you should need to pick a walk that works best for you. There are some easy loops from the house – typically 1.5-2 hours – as well as some runs and ambles to a bridge for pooh sticks with kids. There’s a good walk through the woods, along the ridge and down to the Boat Inn on the river for a pint. Or a 2 hour walk to Eardisely – we love the Tram Inn there for Sunday lunch. You’ll need to book.

For serious walkers we’re a mile or two from Offa’s Dyke and you can hit the Herefordshire Trail within a few hundred metres of us. There are some heady walks (circular and linear) up along Hay Bluff, down to Llanthony Priory and up Hatteral Ridge for far reaching views.

Wild swimming – we love a dip at Brewardine Bridge which is a 15 minute drive but the Warren in Hay is a good spot for a dip, picnic and stone skimming as there’s always a bit of a beach there.

Canoeing - a fabulous way to spend a few hours or a full day. Best for kids over four and good nearby stretches of the River Wye include Hay to The Boat Inn at Whitney or Glasbury to Hay. We can recommend local operators.

 Grocery supplies- there’s a farm shop (Carrot & Wine Stores) at the bottom of the hill and a Co-op in Hay. Oakchurch Farm shop is on the way to Hereford, about 20 minutes drive. Waitrose and Sainsbury’s deliver.