Hay Castle Events

Life drawing takes place in the Clore Learning Space every Monday from 10am until 3pm.

The sessions cost £16 for the full day from 10-4pm and £10 for a morning or afternoon session only.

Please note the new timings - we have reduced the breaks and are finishing a little earlier at 3pm.

The morning session starts at 10am so please arrive at about 9.45am as that is when the doors will be open.

The afternoon session starts at 12:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand


Or you can turn up on Monday and pay in our shop

Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong, Hay-on-Wye's most infamous citizen and the only solicitor ever to be hanged in Britain, was executed 100 years ago for murdering his wife Katherine and attempting to kill Hay's other solicitor Oswald Martin. People certainly seemed to become ill after falling out with Armstrong. But did he do it and did he receive a fair trial? The Poisonous Solicitor uncovers new evidence about the dapper little major whose case absorbed newspaper readers across the world and intrigued writers including Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.

Stephen Bates is a former journalist who worked for the BBC, Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and latterly the Guardian for more than 30 years and now writes books instead at his home in Kent.

Stephen will be signing books after the event.

THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT

Please enter the Castle from Oxford Road or through the ancient gates from the Market carpark as the Honesty Bookshop door will be locked.

In your half day introductory workshop you will explore a range of materials to produce original prints which you can then take home.

During the workshop you will learn the basics of cyanotype printmaking from preparing the light sensitive solution; preparation and choice of paper; selection of objects; exposure times and the washing and fixing of prints.

All materials and course notes will be provided on the day.

Making cyanotypes involves chemicals which can stain clothing blue, so please bring an old shirt or apron to wear

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Gill Jackson studied art with the University of the Highlands and Islands in the Outer Hebrides. During her time on North Uist she was introduced to the technique of making cyanotypes. As well as producing beautiful photographs, cyanotypes have one distinct characteristic. They are all a shade of cyan blue. It is this deep inky blue which inspires Gill to continue to explore this medium.

Workshop price - £50
Students - £35

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HEXAD is a solo voice vocal ensemble founded by singer-director Daniel Gethin in 2019. The individual members of the group are highly in-demand consort singers, working with the likes of Tenebrae, SANSARA, Ex Cathedra, EXAUDI and Ensemble Pro Victoria. Music for Tudor Queens, Mary, Queen of Heaven and new works commissioned to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II. The performance will include music by William Byrd as we approach his 400th anniversary of his death, Continental Renaissance composers such as Tomas Luis de Victoria, Pierre de Manchicourt and Orlando di Lasso, and newly written music by members of the ensemble, Piers Kennedy and Anna Semple.

Please note concert tickets are now sold out - if you are a ticket holder, you can still book a pre-concert meal below




The Concert starts at 7pm

Epicure events are running a bar from 18:00 until 21:00 and will be cooking a Winter supper:

Local sausages OR Local veggie sausages with creamy mashed potato, roasted root vegetables, onion gravy & crispy shallots.

This day is designed as a masterclass in the morning and an afternoon workshop. You will have the opportunity to learn about being a printmaker and to develop your lino skills with artist and illustrator Hannah Firmin.

The day will begin with a talk by Hannah about her life as an artist and illustrator.

Hannah trained at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art and was tutored by such people as Susan Einzig, Quentin Blake and Sheila Robinson amongst others. For many years she has worked as a freelance Illustrator working for publishers, magazines and design groups all over the world. Hannah always used a ‘hand printed’ technique for the artwork, developing a specific style using woodcuts, linocuts and collage.

We will then have a short masterclass with discussion and the ability to look through Hannah's work in her portfolios.

After lunch there will be a lino-printing workshop with places limited to 10 people.

The lunch break is a great opportunity to go and see our exhibition The Printed Line in our gallery on the 2nd floor which features over 40 printed works from the Arts Council Collection.

What better way to spend an evening than to enjoy a magical and timeless fairytale, performed with great relish and gusto by Daniel? Expect singalongs, high drama and low humour, mysterious strangers, danger, shocking twists and sudden jumps!

DANIEL is well known across Britain thanks to his work with THE DEVIL'S VIOLIN. By popular demand, he is offering a programme that is suitable for a broader audience- anyone from 8 years up will enjoy this show, including parents!

You can read more about Daniel on his website

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Enjoy creating you own large, luxurious wreath to adorn your door. Gorgeous winter foliage and pine, rich berries, feathers and dried fruits.

Prosecco & pastries on arrival and all materials provided.

This workshop will show you how to make a stunning personalised journal from old magazines and assorted ephemera. Nina will also introduce some tips about keeping journals and show you some of the fabulous pieces that she has created.

You can read more about Nina's work on her Facebook page - The Forgotten Bookshop Girl

The workshop will begin at 10:30am in our Clore Leanring Space on the 1st floor of Hay Castle. We have a lift so the room is fully accessible.

There will be a break for lunch at 12:30 and the workshop will continue in the afternoon until 3:30pm

Nina has a wealth of materials to make your journal from, but if you have any photos or clippings that you would like to incorperate then please do bring them along. You can use sheet music, adverts, wrapping paper - all kinds of paper items.

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Did you know that there were two major American Hospitals just outside Kington with beds for over 3000?

This talk looks into the history of these hospitals and how they came to be located just outside of Kington. Resident historian, Mari Fforde, will be talking about the history of Kington Camp and how the now crumbling remains of the concrete and brick huts on the Hergest Road, served as a vital home to huge numbers of British, Polish and American troops during the war. Mari’s research has also revealed an exciting find which adds to the amazing story of Kington Camp.

Please enter the Castle from Oxford Road up the drive or through the ancient gates from the Market carpark as the Honesty Bookshop door will be locked.
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Christmas comes alive at Hay Castle! Join us for a weekend of beautifully crafted wares, music, festive food and more! Outside on the lawn have a go on our traditional Victorian game stalls for £2 per play. Enjoy a hot, wintery beverage or a cup of mulled wine from Epicure’s bar alongside their Winter BBQ to warm and indulge your taste buds.

Inside the castle Showcasing Wales and the Borders are bringing an incredible array of artisan traders with their lovingly crafted wares. Enjoy the festive atmosphere amidst a chorus of song from the best musical groups Hay has to offer!

And do your kids dare to visit the Snow Queen in her Ice Grotto…see separate event listing to purchase tickets to a wintery, storytelling session!

Saturday 17^th December – 10:00 – 20:00

Sunday 18^th December – 10:00 – 17:00

• Behold the Snow Queen in her Ice Grotto!
• 30 minute slots – includes storytelling, free gift and a photo with the Queen – you can even sit on her throne!
• Children must be accompanied by an adult – 1 adult per 1 or 2 children
• Tickets are £5 with a free gift included

Please note - Accompanying adults do not have to purchase a ticket

• Behold the Snow Queen in her Ice Grotto!
• 30 minute slots – includes storytelling, free gift and a photo with the Queen – you can even sit on her throne!
• Children must be accompanied by an adult – 1 adult per 1 or 2 children
• Tickets are £5 with a free gift included

Please note - Accompanying adults do not have to purchase a ticket

Come and enjoy a three course Scottish feast in the Hay castle café served from 7pm (bar open from 18:30)

Starter - Smoked Haddock Cullen Skink

Mains - Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Dessert - Honey and Whisky Cranachan

Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan versions available – please contact Helen on the email below to discuss these or any other dietary requirements.

Tradition will be adhered to throughout the night as a Piper welcomes you (and the Haggis too as it enters the room!) And not forgetting the all-important ‘Address to the Haggis’, ‘Address to the lassies’ and ‘Reply to the laddies’. When dinner concludes at around 20:45, get your dancing shoes on for a Ceilidh in the Great Hall hosted by local Ceilidh band ‘Sheila’s Reels’ with a Caller from 9-11pm. Alongside Epicure’s array of local tipples from the bar, Scottish whisky will be available to purchase neat, on ice, with water or as a Whisky cocktail! Full Scottish attire is of course very welcome or just a nod to the night’s theme with a hint of Tartan would suffice!

£70 per ticket, which includes the three-course meal and all entertainment.

Please email helen.lowther@haycastletrust.org to book your tickets - there are just under 50 tickets available for this event, so secure yours now to avoid disappointment!

CORACLE ARE PAUL HUTCHINSON, KAREN WIMHURST, ANNA TAM

Coracle brings together the talents, imagination and creativity of three artists with vastly different backgrounds, who have come together through their love of traditional music cut through with experimentation, boldness, humour and risk.

Expect ethereal to turn gutsy, passion to be tempered by a good laugh and a tide of improvisation which means no two evenings are ever the same. Be thrilled by the silvern voice of Anna Tam, the free flowing mix of reeds…..clarinets and accordion….cello, nyckelharpa, viola da gamba and hurdy gurdy. The British folk tradition at its very heart with eddies of contemporary classical and splashes of early music, ebbs and flows, squalls and flurries – each gig is an exhilarating journey of exploration and enjoyment.

You can see more about Coracle on their website

Bar opens at 18:30 - Gig begins at 19:30 - Evening ends at 21:30

Hay-based Innominati, and Bright Shiners, all the way from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, are talented acapella vocal harmony groups who perform songs from medieval to jazz, with diversions into folk, world and much more.

Bar opens at 18:30 – Concert begins at 19:30