The Rhydspence Inn
(Peter Glover)

Whitney-on-Wye,
near Hay-on-Wye,
Herefordshire,
HR3 6EU.

Tel: 01497 831 262
Fax: 01497 831 751

Catering as it does for the tourist trade Hay-On-Wye has a number of hotels and guest houses in the town itself and there are more within a ten mile (16Km) radius of the town.

During the summer months it is important to book accomodation in advance!

We recommend The Rhydspence Inn as a pleasant and friendly place to stay. It is on the English side of the Welsh Border, a stream in the garden marking the divide. To the East are the rolling fields of England, dotted with the famous 'Black & White' villages of Herefordshire. To the West lie the hills and mountains of Wales.

Across the River Wye, is Hay-on-Wye, the 'town of books', boasting dozens of antiquarian booksellers, from the tiny to the worlds largest. Even the castle ruins have been pressed into service as a book shop!

Originally built in the 14th century as a manor house, Rhydspence has not always been the tranquil watering hole it is today. In Tudor times, and until the advent of the railways, the Inn was a main assembly point on the "Black Ox Trail" for Welsh drovers and Irish cowboys pushing cattle, sheep and geese to the English towns and cities, as far as London. Attached to the Inn were some 140 acres of land split up into penny, ha-penny and farthing fields where animals were grazed and rested.

The drovers were broadcasters of news and events and also a method of transferring funds across the country. A deal could be struck in Aberdovey and cash banked in London with no movement of cash and no risk of highwaymen. The drovers are gone but travellers are still made very welcome and tales exchanged across the bar.

Food has become a speciality, served both in the bar and in the spacious dining room overlooking the Wye Valley.

The accomodation may be 14th Century, with genuine creaks, groans, draughts and atmosphere, but the en-suite facilities are strictly 21st Century.

The Inn is English Tourist Board rated "3 Crowns Highly Commended", AA rated "QQQQQ Premier Select Inn" and a Johansens Recommended Country Inn, as well as being included in most guide books.

Daily rates for bed & breakfast (per room):
    Four Poster: £75.00
    Double/Twin: £65.00
    Single: £32.50