Hay Castle Events

As well as tours and exhibitions, we hold a variety of events here at Hay Castle. You can see upcoming events and buy tickets below. For our past events listings please click here.

Hay Music ‘The Golden Age of Harp’

Alis Huws and Sinfonia Cymru Quartet

Venue: Hay Castle Great Hall
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Hay Music presents Alis Huws and Sinfonia Cymru Quartet: ‘The Golden Age of Harp’

Experience the rare magic of a harp quintet. Former Royal Harpist and Classic FM Rising Star Alis Huws returns to Sinfonia Cymru to lead an ensemble of harp, flute, violin, viola and cello in a programme featuring French and Belgian gems from the golden age of harp music. Alis has paired the beautiful romanticism of these quintets with pieces from Wales and the USA inspired by the natural world, showcasing the exciting ways composers are writing for harp today. A unique opportunity to hear Alis alongside some of the UK's finest musicians under 30.

Programme

‘Discovering Music’ – an illustrated introduction to the pieces by Alis and the Quartet.

Charles Rochester Young: Song of the Lark

Guy Ropartz: Quintet

Eloise Gynn: Song for an Ancient Tree

Joseph Jongen: Concert a cinq, Op. 71

Tickets £15 (under 25s - £7.50) directly from Hay Music . For more information about Alis and the Sinfonia Cymru Quartet visit the website by clicking here.


Refreshments available before the talk begins. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Jewellery and Antiques Evaluation Day

with Kate Bliss

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Kate Bliss, a regular face on BBC antiques programmes and an independent jewellery and fine art valuer is hosting a free ‘drop-in’ Valuation Day for jewellery and silver as well as other antiques and contemporary fine art.

Have you recently inherited items you know nothing about? Do you have jewellery you never wear? Kate offers a unique opportunity to find out more about your valuables including their potential value.

A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Kate has over 20 years experience valuing single items to unique collections and whole house contents. Whether it’s the right time to realise some assets or simply de-clutter, Kate will provide you with a verbal consultation and arrange items for sale if suitable.

Drop-in for a free valuation in the Clore Learning Space 10am to 4pm, Sat 5th April

FREE EVENT
Jewellery and Antiques Evaluation Day

Life Drawing April 7th

Monday Life Drawing Session

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more
Life Drawing continues on the 10th March - beginning at 11am and finishing at 4pm

The model for this session will be Seren

This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.

PLEASE NOTE LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS ARE NOW FORTNIGHTLY


Please bring your own materials

The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand


11 - 12 - Drawing
12 - 12.15 - Break
12.15 - 1.15 - Drawing
1.15 - 1.45 - Lunch
1.45 - 2.45 - Drawing
2.45 - 3pm - Break
3 - 4pm - Drawing




Full day session £18 7 April
£18.00
Half Day Session £12 7th April
£12.00
Life Drawing April 7th

Have-a-go-Shakespeare

with the Willow Globe

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more

Have-A-Go Shakespeare

Following our popular taster session in December, we are delighted to announce the beginning of regular workshops here at Hay Castle.

Are you curious about Shakespeare? Would you like to learn more, share what you know and ‘Have-A-Go’ in an informal environment with a like-minded group? Come for tea, a chat and a bash at Shakespeare. No experience or prior knowledge necessary!

The sessions are run by our Artistic Directors, Sue Best and Phil Bowen, who have a lifetime’s experience of working with Shakespeare in a professional and participatory context. The workshops offer an opportunity for all-comers to ‘Have-A-Go’ at Shakespeare in a fun and supportive environment and facilitate discussion around the themes of the plays in both a historical and current context.

£7.50 per session - payable on the day.

All welcome! No experience necessary



PAY ON THE DOOR (£7.50)
Have-a-go-Shakespeare

Soil Food Web Essentials

Free Course

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Space
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Lets learn about the amazing world of soil together! Join us for 7 evenings of a soil food web beginners course. This FREE science based approach course is full of valuable information from online experts to get you started in understanding soil.

Every Tuesday evening we will meet at 5.30pm in the core learning space at the Castle. Learn together by watching videos of experts teaching, a quiz so we can all ensure we have digested the information with time to talk and discuss at the end (7pm). Covering Soil Ecology - Soil Biology - Soil Health - Building Soil

5:30 to 7pm on the following dates:

  • 25 March - Introduction & Soil Ecology
  • 1 April - Soil Biology
  • 8 April - Soil Health
  • 15 April - Building Soil
  • 22 April - Building Soil continued
  • 29 April - Level up with soil life
  • 6 May - Community solutions
SOIL ESSENTIALS ENTIRE COURSE
£0.00

Print Club April 14th

Fortnightly Print Club

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.

Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.

This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.

DONATIONS FOR MATERIALS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED - WE HAVE A DONATION BOX

Print Club 31st March
£6.00
Print Club April 14th

Make a Good Impression

A celebration of the printed word and letterpress printing

Venue: Print Area
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The Hay on Wye Guild of Letterpress Printers spend the day showcasing the art of letterpress. Drop in and see demonstrations, including a poster set in wood letters printed on the Castle's vintage Columbian press, and bookmarks printed on a small tabletop press.

Come and learn about the history of printing, and browse the unique items for sale, created by Guild members.

FREE
Make a Good Impression

Life Drawing April 21st

Monday Life Drawing Session

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more
Life Drawing continues on the 10th March - beginning at 11am and finishing at 4pm

The model for this session will be Jessika

This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.

PLEASE NOTE LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS ARE NOW FORTNIGHTLY


Please bring your own materials

The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand


11 - 12 - Drawing
12 - 12.15 - Break
12.15 - 1.15 - Drawing
1.15 - 1.45 - Lunch
1.45 - 2.45 - Drawing
2.45 - 3pm - Break
3 - 4pm - Drawing







Full day session £18 21st March
£18.00
Half Day Session £12 24th March
£12.00
Life Drawing April 21st

Kids Easter Workshop

Balancing Butterflies and Chomping Frogs

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Come and make some balancing and pop-up art! Francesca Kay shows you how to make a butterfly who perches on a stick, and a frog opening its mouth to catch a fly. Once you know how to do them, there are lots of other ways to use these simple ideas!

Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.

Kids Easter Workshop 10:30am
£5.00
Kids Easter Workshop 12:30pm
£5.00
Kids Easter Workshop 2:30pm
£5.00
Kids Easter Workshop

Wellbeing workshops - Foraged cordage

Make your own cordage with artist Sarah Putt

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Join us for an enriching 2 day cordage workshop with Sarah Putt at Hay Castle! Taking place on Saturday, April 26th and Saturday, May 17th from 10am to 4pm, these workshops offer a unique opportunity to connect with nature and enhance your wellbeing.

Under Sarah's expert guidance, you'll learn the ancient craft of cordage making using materials foraged from the beautiful Castle grounds. This hands-on experience not only teaches practical skills but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world around us.

Participants will explore various techniques to create strong, functional cords from plants and other natural fibers. The process of foraging and crafting is designed to be meditative and therapeutic, promoting mindfulness and a sense of accomplishment.

Whether you're a seasoned crafter or a complete beginner, Sarah's workshops are inclusive and welcoming to all. You'll leave with newfound skills, beautiful handmade cords, and a sense of connection to both the environment and fellow participants.

The workshop timings will be:

Sat 26 April

10am - 12pm introduction and foraging

12-1pm - lunch (bring your own packed lunch or buy lunch in our cafe)

1pm - 3pm basic techniques

Sarah will then take the materials away to dry in preparation for session 2 on 17 May

Sat 17 May

10am - 12pm starting on cord making

12-1pm - lunch (bring your own packed lunch or buy lunch in our cafe)

1pm - 3pm completing your work


These workshops have been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund - and thus are priced at £6 for each day. If you would like to attend and require financial assitance please email mari.fforde@haycastletrust.org.
nlcf logo

Places are limited to 8 people.

Don't miss this chance to unwind, learn, and create in the serene setting of Hay Castle.


26 April: Cordage Workshop 1
£6.00
17 May: Cordage Workshop 2
£6.00

Hay Music: ‘Baroque Alchemy’

Red Priest Duo Piers Adams, recorders and Lyndy Mayle, keyboard

Venue: Hay Castle Great Hall
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Hay Music is very excited to present 'Baroque Alchemy' with recorders virtuoso Piers Adams, and multi-talented keyboardist Lyndy Mayle. Piers is widely regarded as one of the greatest recorder players of our time and his ensemble 'Red Priest' is well known for its fresh and innovative approach to the music of the Mediaeval and Baroque masters. Piers and Lyndy offer an experience no less colourful and engaging and we hope you will welcome this rare opportunity to hear these outstanding performers in a unique 'electro-baroque fusion'. In a recent review of one of their performances Sussex World wrote: "‘Alchemy’ originally referred to transmuting base metals into gold. No-one could possibly describe Baroque music as ‘base’, but what has been discovered over many years is how adaptable much of this music is to new and effective treatments and instrumentation. But few transmutations have been as genuinely electrifying as this one, a combination of the simple recorder allied to modern-day synth technology, performed by two spectacularly gifted musicians: Piers on a dizzying array of recorders – seemingly snatched at random from their canvas holders – and keyboard player and harpsichordist supremo Lyndy Mayle. What a perfectly matched duo for this innovative and extremely entertaining venture!"

The programme will include:
Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite from the Goldberg Variations
Tomaso Albinoni: Adagio from Concerto in D minor
Georg Philipp Telemann: Andante and Danse Rustique
Jean-Baptiste Forqueray: La Boisson
Giovani Antonio Pandolfi Mealli: La Biancuccia
Ian Clarke: Hypnosis
Isaac Albeniz: Asturias
Astor Piazzolla: Café 1930

Tickets £17.50 (under 25s - £8.00) directly from Hay Music
Hay Music:  ‘Baroque Alchemy’

Diana Ashworth - Wednesday Evening Talk

My Dog Can’t Read…More tales from an accidental farmer

Venue: Clore Learning Space
Read more
Come along to our evening talk by local author and farmer Diana Ashworth.

My dog can’t read, but if I sent him a postcard, he’d sniff it and know I was fine and thinking of him. If I needed to tell him more, I suppose I’d send him one of my socks.

In an insecure world, be cheered by the landscape and friendliness of this quiet, green valley, with its unexploded bombs, stampeding cattle and life-or-death decisions. Diana’s off-beat take on life, honed by her years as a family doctor, is one of the things that made her first book, Iolo’s Revenge: Sheep farming by Happy Accident in Mid Wales, so popular. People who read it ask what has happened since?

Quite a lot actually …

Diana Ashworth is a retired doctor who took on a 25-acre farm-holding in Mid Wales with her husband Alan. She is the author of Iolo’s Revenge: Sheep farming by Happy Accident in Mid Wales.

Diana's books are available in our shop and are published by Logaston Press


Price: £10.00
Diana Ashworth - Wednesday Evening Talk

Talk on Watermills with Mary Morgan & Elizabeth Bingham

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Join local historians Elizabeth Bingham and Mary Morgan at Hay Castle for a delightful talk on the fascinating history of watermills. They’ll share illustrated stories of old mills near Hay, once used for grinding grain into flour, fulling cloth, and making paper. Some mills are still working, while others have been transformed into charming homes, cozy cafés, or even hydro-generating projects. It's a perfect opportunity to learn and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Hay Castle.

Every village and most hamlets had their church, the inn or at least cider house, and their mill. The Industrial Revolution and the development of steam power made many redundant in the 19th and 20th centuries but some round here, including those at Clodock, Rhosgoch and Stauton-on-Arrow, went on working into the 1950s. Recently some have been meticulously restored and others converted into homes, cafes, galleries and small hydropower projects.

In National Mills weekend (May 9th/10th 2025) several of the mills in Elizabeth and Mary’s new booklet will be working and open for visitors.

Price: £12.00

Craft Fair 2025

Craft on the lawn during the Hay Festival

Venue: Hay Castle Lawn
Read more
We are hosting a Craft Fair in marquees on the Castle lawn for the first weekend of Hay Festival - Sat 24 - Mon 26 May 2025.
Highly skilled local makers will exhibit their latest work in textiles, leather, ceramics, jewellery, wood, basket ware and much more.
Further information along with a list of exhibitors nearer the date.

Daily 10am - 5pm
FREE ENTRY
FREE ENTRY
Craft Fair 2025

Have-a-go-Shakespeare

with the Willow Globe

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more

Have-A-Go Shakespeare - special Festival session

Are you curious about Shakespeare? Would you like to learn more, share what you know and ‘Have-A-Go’ in an informal environment with a like-minded group? Come for tea, a chat and a bash at Shakespeare. No experience or prior knowledge necessary!

The sessions are run by our Artistic Directors, Sue Best and Phil Bowen, who have a lifetime’s experience of working with Shakespeare in a professional and participatory context. The workshops offer an opportunity for all-comers to ‘Have-A-Go’ at Shakespeare in a fun and supportive environment and facilitate discussion around the themes of the plays in both a historical and current context.

£7.50 per session - payable on the day.

All welcome! No experience necessary



PAY ON THE DOOR (£7.50)
Have-a-go-Shakespeare

Local Hay Authors Signing Event

Come and meet our local authors

Venue: Hay Castle Great Hall
Read more
We will be hosting three local author signing events during the day - all taking place in the Great Hall.

11am to 12pm - Barbara Erskine
Come and meet Barbara who will be signing the new paperback edition of her latest book - Story Spinner - plus other books including of course, The Lady of Hay.

12:15pm to 1:15pm - Tiff Murray
Tiff will be here with her latest book - My Family and Other Rockstars - which details her entertaining account of growing up with rockstars at Rockfield House recording studios.

2:00pm to 3:00pm - Jasper Fforde
Another local resident, Jasper Fforde will be signing his books and chatting about Red Side Story, the sequel to Shades of Grey as well as the Thursday Next books, Constant Rabbit and Early Riser.
Free Event

Tarddle / Source

Film by Storyteller in Residence - Tom Bullough

Venue: Clore Learning Space
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Between January and September 2024, Tom Bullough travelled up the River Wye from the Wales-England border at Hay-on-Wye to the source on Pumlumon Fawr. Along the way, he filmed the river and its surroundings and recorded conversations with scores of people – from poultry farmers to teachers and musicians, conservationists to tourists, anglers, a rally driver and a spirit medium. They discussed their relationship with the river but also their lives, hopes and concerns, and subjects as varied as wind farms, peat bogs, Welsh identity and the nature of the soul. The result is Tarddle/ Source: a two-hour film about the Wye Valley – passionate, reflective and celebratory – a portrait of a changing community bound together by a love of its place.


Come and see the film in our Clore Learning Space

Screenings start at 10.30am and 1.30pm



Free - come and pop in at any point - just pick up a free ticket in the shop (this helps us record numbers)


Funded by the Story Arcs Scheme and supported by CSAD


StoryArcs Cardiff School of Art and Design Banner




Find out more about the StoryArcs project
FREE
Tarddle / Source

Landscape Workshop with Emily Hedges

Painted collage for all levels of ability

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more

This workshop has been developed to compliment the exhibition - 20th Century Welsh Painters which will be in the Gallery at this point.

The workshop will include entry into the exhibition as well as an element outside on the lawn looking at the colours of the landscape. Emily will accompany participants to the exhibition to look at the works and then everyone will go to the Learning Space on the 1st floor to work with collage and paints.

The workshop does not require any prior collaging experience.

Please bring a photograph or image of a landscape you love that you can work with.

Waged Painted Collage
£40.00
Unwaged Painted Collage
£20.00
Landscape Workshop with Emily Hedges

Knights and Castles on the Lawn

Weekend Events with Classroom Adventures

Venue: Hay Castle Lawn
Read more
Knights and Castles
Join Sir Stephen de Blenerhayset and Lady Eleanor as they show you all of the good bits of the “high life” of the Middle Ages!
Stephen loves to swing his sword around and is always looking for budding new squires to join his retinue.
While Stephen is galloping around in search of adventure Eleanor is the real one in charge! She keeps the castle going and if anyone wants anything done they make sure to request an audience with Eleanor! When she’s not solving quandaries and quarrels, Eleanor loves to spend time in the garden and practice making medicines and potions.


The Shows
As well as visitor engagement and games, as part of our Knights and Castles event days we provide several 30 minute shows throughout each day. Each show takes the audience through the story of the life of the Knight and are designed to get the audience involved and feel like they are part of the story.


The Games
For many visitors it is the games that we provide that are the highlight. Our games are all Medieval games that transport players back in time. We fill our Games Arena with many different games, that are relevant to the period, that visitors can play at their leisure and return as much as they want.

Our Games Arena gives visitors something to enjoy from the moment the gates open to the end of the day. Some games are simple, others have more intricate rules, and this spread means that there is something for all.

FREE

My Family and Other Rock Stars

Talk by author Tiff Murray

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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In a small corner of a field in Wales, Tiffany Murray is hiding with Boggle the dog, dreaming of her mum's moussaka, blackberry and apple crumble, and, if she's lucky, ice-cold lemonade. A sheep bleats. The smell of hay tickles her nose. The twang of a guitar and crack of a snare carry on the breeze.

It's the late 1970s and Tiff lives with her mum, Joan, at Rockfield, the iconic recording studios. This place of legend, where some of the most famous rock albums of all time were recorded, is the background to a freewheeling, ever-changing whirlwind of a childhood. Tiff's days are spent running around the farm, making friends with local wildlife and helping out with the endless array of dishes her mum creates to keep the bands fed. She's looking for a dog, she's looking for a father; but the one constantthroughout is her and Joan, building an unconventional family in the most unlikely of locations.

My Family and Other Rock Stars is Tiff's remarkable, truly unique story of growing up in a rural idyll, of Cordon Bleu cookery and of a childhood where the chances of bumping into Freddie Mercury playing piano, or a group of Hell's Angels turning up to record for Lemmy, or even the hope of David Bowie appearing, were as normal as hopscotch and homework.

Tiffany Murray's writing has appeared in Granta, the Guardian, the Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, GQ, Independent on Sunday and featured on BBC Radio 4. Her novels, Diamond Star Halo, Happy Accidents and Sugar Hall, have variously been shortlisted for the Wodehouse Bollinger Prize and received the Roger Deakin Award for nature writing. Tiffany has been a Hay Festival Fiction Fellow, a Fulbright scholar, and a Senior Lecturer, and she currently lives in a forest. My Family and Other Rock Stars is her first memoir.
Tiff Murray Talk
£12.00