THE best town in Wales has been revealed.

Hay-on-Wye, in Powys, took the top spot in Wales in a Which? survey of the UK’s best towns and villages.

The town scored 84 per cent in the customer score category, making it the top rated of five Welsh towns and villages included among the best in the UK.

Abergavenny in Monmouthshire took second spot in Wales, while Brecon, in Powys, Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy, and Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, also made the list.

Free Press Series: Hay-on-Wye (Which?)Hay-on-Wye (Which?)

Describing the newly crowned best town in Wales, Hay-on-Wye, Which? said: “This Welsh border town has appealed to creative types for decades, pulled by the dramatic five-star-rated scenery of the Black Mountains and the beauty of the River Wye.

“It was a sleepy place until bookseller Richard Booth transformed it into the world’s first Book Town, opening numerous shops and declaring himself King of Hay in the process.

“Now, once a year, Hay’s population swells to 10,000 as book lovers pile in for the literary festival.

“As well as bookshops, there are numerous farm and foodie shops, cafés and pubs, and a market taking place on Thursdays.”

The ratings were based on a survey of more than 5,000 Which? readers, and locations were ranked based on their tourist attractions, attractiveness, scenery, peace and quiet, and the quality of food and drink.

The top-rated town in the UK was Avebury in Wiltshire, which scored 90 per cent in the survey.

Which? said: “Avebury scored five stars for scenery in our survey, possibly because it showcases many of the usual trappings associated with rural England including a thatched pub, a church that dates back over 1,500 years and front gardens full of roses.

“But it’s also home to the largest stone circle in the world. Unlike the better-known Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circles and Henge has no entry fee and you are free to wander around the ceremonial site, which dates all the way back to around 2850 BC and 2200 BC.

“The village also comprises a handful of houses, a couple of B&Bs, a National Trust manor and a 19th-century Greene King pub where you’ll find robed druids sinking pints.”