Harry Potter Filming Locations to Visit in England
Raise your hand if you love Harry Potter! You can’t see me, but I’m trying to touch the ceiling right now. I moved to England with the soul intention of visiting all the Harry Potter filming locations. Well, that’s not the only reason, but it’s high up on my list.
Fun fact. I used to hate Harry Potter. My best friend in high school was obsessed with the books and when the first movie came out, she dragged me to the theater to see it.
I thought it was a bit childish and we were too old (too cool because we were high schoolers) to watch a movie about a child wizard.
Then the second movie came out and I got dragged to that one, once again by my best friend. Ok, the second one wasn’t as childish and maybe I was kinda seeing everyone’s obsession… still, I stuck to my story that it’s too childish.
Fast forward a few more years and now a group of friends are preparing for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 coming to the theater. I told them I wasn’t going with them because I hadn’t read the books and I’ve only seen the first two movies. They weren’t having that and forced me to watch every Harry Potter movie in order, all at once.
After I watched Prisoner of Azkaban I was hooked and I’ve been in love with the Harry Potter series ever since.
I haven’t been to all the Harry Potter filming locations, but I’ve been to some significant ones and some unusual ones. These are my favorite locations around England that I think every Harry Potter fan should visit!
Alnwick Castle.
I’m going to start in the beginning with the first two movies. This location played a major role in both movies with some major scenes.
The very first flying lesson was filmed on the outer bailey inside the castle walls, Ron and Harry crashed the car into the whomping willow right in front of the castle, Oliver Wood taught Harry the rules of quidditch here, Hagrid dragged a Christmas tree through the arches, and many scenes walking out of the castle to Hagrid’s hut and to and from class was filmed here.
They modeled part of Hogwarts Castle after Alnwick Castle, so guys, you are literally walking into HOGWARTS. They do a wizarding week every summer and they even have broomstick training at the same location where Harry learned to fly (great photo op)!!
TIP: If you want to take a picture with the broomstick, you have to take the broomstick lesson, HOWEVER, there’s a 5 minute window in between “classes” and you can ask the staff if you can borrow a broom for that time to take your flying wizard pics.
Goathland Station.
Not only does this tap into my new-found steam train love, because it’s a heritage railway with steam trains, but this is the setting for Hogsmeade station. The cute bridge that crosses the railroad and the brick front buildings will give you all the Harry Potter feels. They even do special wizarding events during the summer.
You can take a nice drive through the countryside to get to this one OR take the steam train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railways from Pickering and feel like you are actually arriving for your semester at Hogwarts!! I prefer option two!
TIP: They haven’t done this in a while, but for super special Harry Potter anniversaries or events, they bring out the Hogwarts Express on the line so you can actually ride it!!! Although now the Hogwarts Express resides at the Warner Bros Studio Tour, it could still happen, right? *A girl can dream*
Related Post: Spending the Day on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Kings Cross Station.
Yep, this is a given. Everyone knows that Platform 9 3/4 is here! But how do you get to it?
Once you enter, keep going straight (or follow the signs for platforms 9 and 10). You’ll be able to tell where the sign is because the line will probably be quite large. There is the sign and the luggage cart going through the wall here.
They do have a “professional” photographer and a “helper” that will give you your choice of house scarf and then tell you when to jump to get that “perfect” through-the-wall picture and you can use your own camera, however, the employees will not touch it, so bring a friend (or a tripod)!
If you want to skip the photo op, there is an official Harry Potter store.
Another option is to go to the entrance of the real Platform 9 3/4 which is the opposite side of the station in between platforms 4 and 5. However, to get into this area you do need a train ticket.
TIP: Be there early for when the store is about to open so you don’t have to wait in a long line! The line is about 45 minutes long by 1pm!! Or if you just want a picture by the sign then arrive outside of store hours. They remove the cart, but at least you won’t have to wait for a picture in front of the sign!
Hardwick Hall.
This 16th century hall built by Bess of Hardwick was the filming location for the exterior shots of Malfoy Manor. The producers said they like the floor to ceiling windows which gives it a grand and creepy “eyes of the house” feel. They added the spires to give it a more wizarding feel and Gothic look and there you have it. The spooky base of he who shall not be named.
Related Post: Instagrammable Locations at Hardwick Hall
Malham Cove.
This one is definitely in the countryside and definitely a challenge to get to unless you rent a car. You can park your car in the town of Malham in the pay and display lot and take a short hike to Malham Cove (just follow the signs!). Remember in Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when Harry and Hermione are camped out (after Ron leaves them) on the limestone pavement mountain with the beautiful landscape in the background? That’s Malham Cove!
It’s a hike up to the top with uneven steps (about 400 of them) and steep inclines, but the view is worth it! Be careful when you are at the top because the limestone pavement is very uneven, there are no railings, and it can be slippery if it’s wet.
Related Post: How to Get to the Harry Potter Filming Location on Malham Cove
Warner Brothers Studio: The Making of Harry Potter.
No Harry Potter filming location list is complete without a visit to the studios where most of the magic happened. You need to purchase your ticket in advance and I would get it for the very first available time at opening.
I’m not gonna lie, I spent about 5-6 hours here. Yes, it’s possible. As soon as you walk into the lobby you start to feel the magic, if you look straight ahead, you’ll see the cupboard under the stairs (eeeeeee!)! You’ll walk through a couple of rooms and watch a presentation before you start your magically journey and that’s as much as I’m going to explain because I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone, but they have everything from full size sets to props, to costumes, to everyone’s WANDS to all the horcruxes!
Make sure you pick up the guide book and the audio tour to walk around with and you’ll get even more behind the scene tidbits from the producers and Daniel Radcliffe himself including his emotions towards seeing the Hogwarts Castle model for the first time.
There are plenty more Harry Potter filming locations scattered throughout the country, but these were just my favorite ones to visit. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram for more Harry Potter wanderlust!
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