Being a Potterhead in the land where a lot of parts of the movie were actually shot is bliss. Here are some locations that you can visit!
If you’re a Potterhead and are in Cardiff, there are five locations where the movie series was actually shot that you could visit. I have compiled a list of the locations that are no more than three hours away. Without further ado, let’s get straight to the list
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
A lot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie scenes were shot in the Forest of Dean which is hardly an hour away from Cardiff. When Ron abandons Harry and Hermoine while they were out searching for Horcruxes, Hermoine takes Harry to a location that her parents had got her when she was a child. That place is the Forest of Dean.
The place you could go to is called Symonds Yat. Walking down to the river from this picturesque location is your best bet to retrace the actor’s footsteps.
Entry to this location is free.
Lacock Abbey and village
This location can be spotted as the corridors in the school and also as Snape’s classroom. You’ll be able to recognize it very well because of the black cauldron left at the spot till today. The courtyard in front has made brief appearances in the film series. One of the rooms adjacent to the corridors was used as the room containing the mirror of Erised.
Lacock Abbey is about one and a half-hour away by car. As the location is run by the National Trust, the entry is free only for its members. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, some locations might also ask you to pre-book your visit. It’s best to look up their website before you set your foot out.
Gloucester Cathedral
This location has been used in most of the movies in the series to show the corridors of Hogwarts. The lavatorium present at the cathedral has been shown in the sixth movie when Harry overhears Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape talking about the unbreakable vow.
The Gloucester Cathedral is about one and a half-hour drive and the entry is free. It is open all-year-round but it’s worth taking a look at their website to book a tour that is available on some days.
Millennium Bridge, London
This popular bridge that connects the City of London and the Bankside was filmed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This bridge can be seen collapsing during the start of the dramatic opening scenes of the movie.
Millennium Bridge is open all year-round being a commute-way. It doesn’t cost anything just to go over the bridge. Going to this location would take about three and a half hours.
University of Oxford, Oxfordshire
A lot of scenes were shot at the University of Oxford. Some of them were in the Bodleian Library that served as the infirmary in the first movie and the restricted section that the young wizard tries to borrow a book during the after-work hours.
The scene where Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret by Professor Mad-Eye Moody was shot in the cloisters of the New College on the campus. Another time you can see this location is the first time Professor McGonagall met all the students. The scene where Hermoine shows the Quidditch cup that has her father’s name on it was also shot here. The spot where it was shot is the Christ Church College on the University.
This location is about a three hours drive from Cardiff. Since it’s a university, you might want to check the open timings of the institution and then plan your visit.
Bonus place: Tintern Abbey
This place is a 15 minutes drive from the Forest of Dean. This location was shot in the scene after the second war when Harry resorts here.
It closes by 5 PM and has no entry fee.
Have fun exploring the Potter-y locations!