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.
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
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
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
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:
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Places are limited to 8 people.
Don't miss this chance to unwind, learn, and create in the serene setting of Hay Castle.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Open 10am to 5pm,
seven days a week.
Hay Castle
Oxford Road
Hay-on-Wye
HR3 5DG
01497 820079
info@haycastletrust.org