“England’s 100 Best Views” by Simon Jenkins

View of Hay from Clyro Hill Among the Best Views in Britain

Saturday, 14th June 2025

For walkers and ramblers familiar with Hay and its surroundings, the inclusion of the view of Hay from Clyro Hill in Simon Jenkins’ book, England’s 100 Best Views, will not come as a surprise (even if Clyro is in Wales). If you ask around Hay, you’ll occasionally hear locals recommend it as being “one of the best views in Britain”. I believe that it might have gotten the epithet from this book.

While Simon Jenkins’ book was not published recently (first in 2013, then again in 2019), we thought we’d mention it here for anyone interested. You can’t quite see the bookshop, but you can get an excellent view of the castle.

In his book, Mr Jenkins rightly draws attention to the fragility of the countryside, which can be drastically altered by even the most mundane things, such as a change in farming subsidies. Along with the view from Clyro Hill, other beautiful views in the nearby area, including the Long Mynd and the Malverns, are also mentioned.

“On a dark day with storms pouring down from the Brecon Beacons it is easy to understand the Saxons deciding they had invaded far enough and calling a halt. Why push on when the view behind them must have seemed so blissful?”
Simon Jenkins