Literary Travel in Wales: Bucket List for Readers & Writers

Wales isn’t usually at the top of people’s travel bucket lists. But it’s a gorgeous country with lots of ties to famous writers, making Wales the perfect place for a literary travel trip.

Find 14 different places in Wales that every reader and writer would love to visit, ranging from places to find books, places where books were inspired and places where books were written.

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1. Bookstores of Hay-on-Wye

No place in Wales or the world is better suited for a literary travel trip than Hay-on-Wye. Or at least that’s what I think, but I’m biased. This might be my favorite town in the whole world.

Before I tell you how many bookstores it has, keep in mind that it’s a teeny tiny town. Here’s about a poster said about it: “Hay-on-Wye is small. A four pub town. With 38 bookshops. Second hand book capital of the world. The castle’s a bookshop. The cinema’s a bookshop. The fire station’s a bookshop. The alleyway’s a bookshop. But if buying books isn’t your thing, don’t worry. There’s library on Chancery Lane.”

Yes, 38 bookshops!! All incredibly quaint and full of hidden gems. Need I say more?

It’s also a great place for a solo writing retreat destination. Check more places like this in my Writer’s Travel Guide to Wales.

2. Dylan Thomas Writing Shed in Laugharne

Even if you’ve never heard of Dylan Thomas (but you probably did: “Do not go gentle into that good night”), you’ll still love his writing shed. I think it’s safe to say that it’s the dream writing spot of every writer.

You can also see the house he lived in nearby and his grave, among other places related to him. Find out more here. 

Laugharne is where he wrote much of his famous poetry, including Under Mild Wood.

While in Laugharne, take in literary inspiration lineage, because Dylan Thomas wasn’t the only writer to find inspiration here. In fact, the only reason he lived there was because his writer friend Richard Hughes lived at Laugharne Castle. Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and her mother Mary Wollstonecraft lived here. Same with the poet Edward Thomas. And writers like Margaret Atwood (“The Grave of the Famous Poet”) and Kingsley Amis (“The Old Devils”) found inspiration here too.

Read: Under Milk Wood (written in Laugharne)

And listen to a recording of Dylan Thomas reading “Poem in October” (about a walk he took through Laugharne on his 30^th birthday) for free below!

3. Gladstone’s Library

This isn’t your typical library. It’s a private collection that became a hotel! Yes, you can finally live out your dream of spending the night in a library!

Any writer, book lover or literary enthusiast will love staying overnight here. Even if you can’t manage that (prices are fairly affordable though!), you can still visit during the day. There’s a great little café to hang out in too.

4. Roald Dahl’s Norwegian Church in Cardiff

Did you know that Roald Dahl was Welsh? Me neither, before visiting Cardiff! The author of books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Witches and many others was born in Cardiff. His parents were Norwegian immigrants, hence Dahl’s connection to the Norwegian Church on Cardiff Bay.

The church is now an arts center and worth visiting, especially if you’re a fan of Roald Dahl (and who isn’t?).

Read: Collection of Roald Dahl’s 16 most popular books

5. Merlin’s birthplace in Carmarthen

You’ve likely never heard of Carmarthen if you’re not from Wales. I certainly didn’t, before I came to live there. And honestly, at first glance you may think it’s not worth visiting. But if you look closely, you can still see remnants of the rich and long history.

In addition to being the oldest continually inhabited town in Wales, it also lays claim to the birthplace of Merlin. Now, it’s debated if the famous wizard was fictional or not, but this is a post about literary travel, so you probably don’t care anyway.

Carmarthen was probably one of the first places in Wales (and maybe the world) that was a destination for literary travel. As early as 1697, people come visit Carmarthen to see Merlin’s birthplace on Priory Street.

Back in the day, tourists would come to see Merlin’s Oak, an oak tree that grew next to the house where he was supposedly born. It was associated with Merlin’s prophecy: “When Priory’s Oak shall tumble down, then shall fall Carmarthen Town.”

You can’t see the tree anymore because it did indeed tumble down, and not by accident. The town removed the trunk in 1978 since it was in the way of traffic… To be fair, though, it was dead since the 19^th century. But perhaps Carmarthen would be world famous if it were still there?

If you’re in Cardiff, you can see a part of the tree trunk on display at the National Museum of Wales.

Read: Merlin and Wales: A Magician’s Landscape

6. Dobby’s Grave at Freshwater West Beach

Okay, so it has nothing to with the books, but I consider any Harry Potter travel to be literary travel. Freshwater West Beach is located in Pembrokeshire and is absolutely stunning and definitely worth visiting.

But you’re here for literary travel in Wales, and the reason why I’m suggesting a visit here is because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (both parts) was filmed here!

It was the filming location of Shell Cottage (removed after filming) and Dobby’s grave (you can see the tributes left by fans for Dobby). It’s a bit tricky to get to (especially without a car), but I’ve got you covered! Find out how to get here with this post.

7. Welsh writers at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea

It’s only a tiny part of the museum, but if you’re in the area, definitely stop by! It was fascinating reading about various Welsh writers and what they wrote about, and I got some new reading recommendations! Like the Welsh language, Welsh writers write in a very lyrical way even in English.

Also, if you’re craving more Dylan Thomas, you should visit Swansea to explore the city where he was born and raised. See the house he grew up in and the Dylan Thomas Centre, among other places (more Dylan Thomas POI here).

Read: These Poor Hands by Bert Coombes; Rape of the Fair Country by Alexander Cordell; Feet in Chains by Kate Roberts

8. National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth

Is a literary visit complete without a trip to a beautiful library? Wales’s national library will satisfy your library craving, and it’s got some important texts worth checking out. For example, it holds the first book printed in Welsh, among other historical manuscripts.

It has free exhibitions and hosts events (currently online due to Covid) as well!

9. Nant Writers’ Retreat at Ty Newydd Writing Centre

Nant, the historical cottage based at Ty Newydd Writing Centre, is quiet place to embark on your private writing retreat. In addition to a cozy cottage to write in, writers also have access to the gardens, library collection and the writing center.

Nant Writers’ Retreat sounds pretty perfect for writers looking for inspiration while on a literary travel tour of Wales!

10. Hobbit House at Florence Springs in Pembrokeshire

Interested in staying in a hobbit house in the country that helped inspire the world of The Lord of the Rings? Well, you can!

Located in beautiful Pembrokeshire, Florence Springs offers glamping options in one of their hobbit houses.

11. Shelley’s Theatre at Plas Tan-Yr-Allt Historic Country House

You might be more familiar with Percy Bysshe Shelley’s wife, Mary Shelley (see her connection to Laugharne in #2), but Percy was also a famous writer. He was a Romantic poet who belonged to the same circle of poets and writers as Lord Byron and John Keats.

He lived in Plas Tan-Yr-Allt, and it’s where he wrote his first epic poem (Queen Mab) and gave poetry recitals.

You can actually stay the night in this country house in the very place where Shelley himself stayed! Shelley’s Theatre (king size room) is located in the oldest part of the house and is beautifully restored. A stay here should be on the bucket list of every Shelley fan!

Read: Queen Mab: “Fear not for the future, weep not for the past”

12. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Inspiration at Brecon Beacons

The author of The Lord of the Rings was incredibly inspired and fascinated with the Welsh language, and one of his Elvish languages is based on it. Although he wasn’t Welsh himself, he grew up hearing the language and visited Wales with his family (Llanbedrog).

The gorgeous Brecon Beacons National Park is thought to be a place where he worked on writing The Lord of the Rings, and a walk through the pretty hills and mountains will make it easy to see how the landscape inspired The Shire.

Read: Tolkien and Wales: Language, Literature and Identity; Box set of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

13. Literature Festival at Llansteffan

Many literature lovers know of the world-famous literary festival in Hay-on-Wye, but did you ever hear of the Llansteffan literary festival?

Probably not, but it’s worth a visit too! Many writers have found inspiration in this little town (including Dylan Thomas), and contemporary writers still do too. If you’re in Wales when the festival is going on, why not include it in your literary travel itinerary.

14. RS Thomas’s final home in Aberdaron

Perhaps not as world famous as some of the other writers on this list, RS Thomas is regarded one of the best Welsh poets. Although he wrote in English because he didn’t learn Welsh until he was thirty, RS Thomas was a strong advocate for Welsh identity.

He traveled across Wales working in churches and ended up in the beautiful Aberdaron at the end of his life. You can visit St. Hywyn’s Church, where he was the vicar, and Plas yn Rhiw, where he lived in a cottage on the grounds of this mansion.

Read: RS Thomas Selected Poems

15. Learn about the Mabinogion in Narberth

The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh tales with Celtic mythology and Arthurian tales. The Four Branches tale is one of the stories, and Narberth is thought to have connections to it as one of the heroes had his chief court in Arberth (Welsh name for Narberth).

There is a brief exhibit on it in the Narberth Museum and it has costumes from the times of the Mabinogion for kids to try on.

Another literary connection to Narberth is that the poet Waldo Williams attended the private grammar school there.

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So there it is! Wales, a country not on many people’s radars, is full of places for those who love literary travel.

Which are you most excited to visit?