A co-operative of seven makers · in the book town of Hay-on-Wye
01497 820556 4 Market Street, HR3 5AF
The Hay Makers Co-operative gallery · Hay-on-Wye
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◆ Co-operative gallery · Market Street · Hay-on-Wye

Seven makers,
one gallery on Market Street.

A co-operative of designer-makers in the book town of Hay-on-Wye, in our 35th year. Ceramics, wood, stone, prints, felt, embroidery, leather and silver, all made by the people who take turns minding the gallery. As of February we are at 4 Market Street, beside the Butter Market.

Meet the makers Find the new door
Sevenresident makers
35thyear of the co-op
4.8across visitor reviews
Market Stby the Butter Market
A thrown ceramic bottle by Simon Hulbert, on the shelves at The Hay Makers, Hay-on-Wye
FROM THE SHELVES · MARKET STREET A thrown bottle by Simon Hulbert. Made, shown and sold by the makers themselves.
THE CO-OPERATIVE · SINCE THE 1980S

A gallery run by the people who make the work.

The Hay Makers opened in the 1980s and became a registered co-operative. Thirty-five years on, seven resident makers share the running of it between them, so the person at the counter is usually one of the makers, or a colleague who knows the bench the piece came off.

In February 2026 we said goodbye to St John’s Place and moved to 4 Market Street, beside the Butter Market and a minute from the clock tower. The walk has changed, the work has not.

“A friendly co-operative gallery run by the local designer-makers, with a wonderful eclectic range of things to buy.” Visitor review, Hay-on-Wye
  • 1980s The co-operative opens its doors in Hay-on-Wye.
  • 1987 Victoria Keeble joins as a resident maker.
  • 1997 Caitriona Cartwright joins after the Salisbury spire.
  • Feb 2026 The move from St John’s Place to 4 Market Street.
  • 2026 The 35th year of trading, seven makers strong.
THE RESIDENT MAKERS · SEVEN DISCIPLINES

Seven makers, under one roof in the book town.

Ceramics

Simon Hulbert

Thrown beakers, bottles, vases and moon jars, the kind of pot you reach for every morning without thinking about it. Quiet glazes, made to be used rather than shelved.

Wood

Chris Armstrong

Turned bowls and platters in cherry, walnut, elm and white ash. Each piece follows the grain of the board it came from, so no two leave the lathe the same.

Stone

Caitriona Cartwright

Carved stone and hand-cut lettering, from slate bookends to bird baths and alphabet cubes. A trained stonemason who worked on the Salisbury Cathedral spire before settling on the border.

Prints

Victoria Keeble

Etching, screen-print, collagraph, wood engraving and linocut, hares and owls and dark woods drawn from the hills around Hay. A textile designer by training who joined the co-op in 1987.

Felt and paper

Jenny Chippindale

Nuno felt scarves, papier-mache beads and jewellery made from recycled paper, soft colour and light pieces that started life as something else.

Embroidery

Dawn Cripps

Stitched and embroidered pieces that take their subjects from the hedgerow, dandelions, seedheads and the small wild things of the Wye valley.

Leather and silver

Karen Parker

Hand-stitched leather boxes and silver jewellery, made to be carried and worn, finished to last a long time in a pocket or on a hand.

FROM THE BENCHES · A FEW PIECES

Work that came off the makers’ own benches.

Caitriona Cartwright, a carved stone bird bath cut by hand.
STONE Caitriona Cartwright, a carved stone bird bath cut by hand.
Chris Armstrong, a walnut platter turned to follow the grain.
WOOD Chris Armstrong, a walnut platter turned to follow the grain.
Victoria Keeble, the Owl and the Pussy-cat, drawn and printed by hand.
PRINTS Victoria Keeble, the Owl and the Pussy-cat, drawn and printed by hand.
A group of thrown ceramic pieces by Simon Hulbert at The Hay Makers
WHAT A CO-OPERATIVE MEANS HERE

The maker, not a sales floor, is who you meet.

Most galleries buy work in and mark it up. A co-operative is different. The seven of us own and run the gallery between us, take turns on the floor, and price our own work. It is the reason a conversation about a piece can end with the person who actually made it.

  • Stone cut by a cathedral hand. Caitriona Cartwright trained as a stonemason at Weymouth College and worked on the Salisbury Cathedral spire repair before turning to lettering and slate.
  • Five print techniques, not one. Victoria Keeble moves between etching, screen-print, collagraph, wood engraving and linocut, each one chosen for the picture in hand.
  • Wood that follows the board. Chris Armstrong turns each bowl to the grain of the cherry, walnut, elm or ash it came from, so the figure of the timber leads the shape.
THE EXHIBITION PROGRAMME · 2026

A guest show for every season in Hay.

9 Mar to 10 May 2026

Easter Exhibition

Holly Aldridge, stained glass. Charlotte Baxter, printmaking. Tim Lake and Bethan Jones, ceramics. Sian Lester, botanical dyes.

On now 11 May to 5 July 2026

Festival Exhibition

Metalwork by Cornelius van Dop, Sue Hanna, Zsuzsi Morrison, Rachel Higgins and Bronwen Tyler Jones, on while the Hay literary festival is in town.

The programme runs through the year, Easter, Festival, Summer, Autumn and Christmas, alongside the resident makers. The Festival show is timed for the visitors who come to Hay only for the literary festival in late May.

GET IN TOUCH · THE CO-OP

Ask about a piece, a maker, or a commission.

A short note to start. We will pass it to the right maker, whether it is a turned bowl in a particular wood, lettering in stone, or just when we are next open. Or phone 01497 820556 and speak to whoever is minding the gallery that day.

  • We reply by email, usually within a day or two.
  • Tell us which maker or craft you have in mind.
  • Commissions are possible for some of the work.

Send an enquiry

A photo helps if you are asking about a piece. You can email one to info@haymakers.co.uk after sending.

FIND US · THE NEW DOOR

4 Market Street, beside the Butter Market.

THE GALLERY

4 Market Street
Hay-on-Wye, Powys HR3 5AF

Phone · 01497 820556

Email · info@haymakers.co.uk

We are on Market Street beside the Butter Market, a minute from the clock tower and a short walk from Hay Castle. The town sits where the River Wye meets the foot of the Black Mountains. Since February 2026 this is the door, not the old one at St John’s Place.

OPENING HOURS

Hours vary through the year, with longer days over the Hay Festival in late May and through the summer. Please phone 01497 820556 before a special trip and we will tell you exactly when we are open that week.

4 Market Street, beside the Butter Market in the centre of Hay-on-Wye. Open in Google Maps ↗
QUESTIONS · FIVE WE GET MOST

Quick answers, then come and find us.

Where is the gallery now? I heard you had moved.

We moved to 4 Market Street on 10 February 2026, right beside the Butter Market in the middle of Hay-on-Wye, a minute from the clock tower. We were at St John’s Place for many years, but the new chapter is on Market Street now.

Is the work made by the people in the gallery?

Yes. The Hay Makers is a co-operative, so the person who sells you a piece is often the maker, or a fellow resident who knows the bench it came off. Seven of us share the running of the gallery between us.

Can I commission something or talk to a particular maker?

Often, yes. Some of the work, lettering in stone, a turned bowl in a wood you have in mind, can be commissioned. Send a note through the form or phone 01497 820556 and we will put you in touch with the right maker.

What are the opening hours?

Hours vary through the year, with longer days over the Hay Festival in late May and through the summer. The surest thing is to phone 01497 820556 before a special trip, and we will tell you exactly when we are open that week.

Do you sell cards, vouchers and smaller gifts too?

We do. Alongside the makers’ work there is a good selection of cards and wrapping paper from original designs, and gift vouchers if you would rather let someone choose their own piece.