BorderLands Walking Series
Date: 30th August 2026
Time: Depart 10am and return 12pm
Meeting points: Hay Castle main entrance, Oxford Road, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5DG.
Book Online: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/borderlands-walking-series-verity-howard-tickets-1988835376148?aff=oddtdtcreator
Join Sarah Price Hiking and artist Verity Howard for a relaxed 3-mile circular walk from the centre of Hay-on-Wye as part of the BorderLands exhibition programme, exploring hillside paths, riverside routes and quieter corners of the town. The walk climbs out of Hay through open fields with wide views over the town, Wye Valley and surrounding hills before continuing onto Hay Common and descending towards the River Wye. Continuing through woodland to The Swan Well, a historic spring, the walk will return to the centre of Hay-on-Wye.
On this walk, Verity invites you to look closer at your surroundings and to notice plants, objects and details that might normally be overlooked. Verity will offer insight into her creative process and the inspirations behind her body of work ‘Vagor’, three sculptures from which are exhibited in BorderLands. Verity will also share some of her research into the fascinating, local, social history of drovers who historically walked livestock from pastures in Wales to markets in England. The walk will include time for discussion around these themes and what this landscape means to us today. You’ll also have a chance to visit one of Hay-on-Wye’s more mysterious and hidden places, The Swan Well, and to learn about the myths and tales associated with such historic sites.
Please bring a phone or camera to capture inspiration as we walk, as well as a notebook and pencil to record thoughts and observations. As the walk includes several stops for discussion, you may wish to bring a sit mat or a walking-stick seat to rest on during these breaks.
Please note: This is an accessible 3-mile walk with gradual ascent, field paths and uneven terrain in places. It will be taken at a relaxed pace, with space to pause and respond creatively to the landscape along the way.