Where was the Harry Potter movie filmed? Corridors of Hogwarts - School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Who among us has not watched and admired the film about the boy wizard Harry Potter and his adventures? The film is full of events, interesting characters and, of course, magic. Most of the storylines involve a magical castle - Hogwarts School of Magical Arts. Any boy or girl in England could study here if they had a special, magical talent.

Every child, and maybe an adult, wonders: does Hogwarts really exist or is it just cardboard decorations and plywood buildings? And if there is, where is Hogwarts located in real life?

In a sense, fans of the Harry Potter films can see the wizarding abode in two installations:

• a small model of a human-sized building, which was mounted in the studio,
• and a real, ancient castle with many buildings, stairs, halls, towers.

Directors and set designers had to search for a very long time for the prototype of the castle, described by JK Rowling, so that they could conduct location shooting. And they were able to find him!

Judging by the writer's book, the magic school is located in the north of England on the border with Scotland and this is confirmed in the film - the Hogwarts train - an express train moving from London strictly north.

The answer to the question of where Hogwarts is located in real life turned out to be very simple. Today it is reliably known that all location shooting in the premises of the castle and on its surrounding territory was filmed in the real ancient building of Alnwick (Enik), which is located in the county of Northumberland, which is located on the northern borders of England and Scotland. It belongs to the famous noble family - the Dukes of Percy and was built in the 11th century. In order for the palace to be able to completely transport the viewer into the magical world, it had to be decorated, appropriate furniture installed, something painted and repaired.

Alnwick Castle is a vibrant embodiment of a bygone era and is still part of Britain's cultural heritage. Today you cannot explore the entire castle, since many rooms are closed, but now you know how to get to Hogwarts in real life.

Hogwarts in real life

This ancient building was built to protect the northern borders of the kingdom under William the Conqueror. Over time (in the 17th century), the owners stopped living in it and moved to the city, and all the buildings slowly began to fall into disrepair.

Later in the 18th century, the new owner began to restore the estate and today the castle pleases with its updated furnishings, strong walls and ceilings. All around are beautiful and luxurious interiors, which are decorated with works of art and antique furniture.

The external decoration of Alnwick Castle is made up of many towers and turrets. The estate has an excellent library. During the war, part of the castle was given over to the organization of an educational institution.

The excellent interiors and appearance of the castle attract filmmakers who have already shot films here such as “Robin Hood”, “Elizabeth”, and all the Harry Potter series.

But Hogwarts is hidden,” Hermione was surprised. - Everyone knows this... everyone who has read "A History of Hogwarts", in any case... He is bewitched. If a Muggle looked at him, all he would see were crumbling ruins and a sign at the entrance: “DO NOT ENTER. DANGEROUS AREA!"
JK Rowling "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

The world of Harry Potter is our world. The action of the saga takes place not in an unknown place where the green sun burns, but on our Earth. That's why fans are drawn to go searching for the castles and villages mentioned in the books. In this issue of the fantastic guide, we have collected places that are absolutely necessary to visit for every self-respecting Potter lover.

Unfortunately, most of the places where the Harry Potter books take place are hidden from Muggles (or, tolerantly speaking, those who are alternatively magically gifted). Such a person is unlikely to be able to get into Gringotts Bank, Durmstrang School or any of the magical bars. But it’s easy to look at some buildings from the outside, and also see where exactly their film incarnations were created.

Hogwarts Castle is located somewhere in Scotland, but wizards live throughout the UK. Including in London, where the heroes find themselves quite often.

London. King's Cross

First of all, King's Cross Station deserves attention, from where the train to Hogwarts departs and where the well-known passage to the world of wizards is located. By the way, the location was not chosen by chance. JK Rowling's parents met at King's Cross station, on a train heading to Scotland.

When the railway station was built in the village of Hogsmeade not far from Hogwarts, the question arose about the construction of a magical station in London. But the construction of a separate station in the center of the Muggle capital would too clearly violate the Statute of Secrecy, and therefore it was decided to build several hidden platforms at the newly built King's Cross station, where only witches and wizards could enter (only one platform is mentioned in the books, but, according to JK Rowling, there are more of them).

Platform 9 3/4. Especially for selfies and other looks

The entrance to the most famous of them is located between platforms 9 and 10, and the platform itself bears the fractional number 9 3/4. This is where the Hogwarts Express departs. To get to the magical platform, you must, without slowing down, pass through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

You and I are unlikely to succeed, but we can visit this place itself. It was equipped especially for tourists at King's Cross Station. True, this place is located between platforms 4 and 5, but who cares! But there is a professional photographer working here, you can take pictures in the colors of all four Hogwarts houses (there are both robes and scarves), and there is a souvenir shop nearby where you can buy magic wands (not working), the Marauder's Map (also not working) and other magnets with mugs .

London. Diagon Alley

The center of magical life in London is Diagon Alley, a street where many magical shops and offices are located. Of course, a Muggle cannot get there, but there is a chance to see where the corresponding scenes were filmed.

You can enter Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron pub, located "between the bookshop and the record shop on Charing Cross Road" (around number 48, according to the films). If in the Muggle world there are about seven establishments vying for the title of the oldest pub in London, then wizards know for sure: this is the Leaky Cauldron, which stood here long before the appearance of Charing Cross Road. Unfortunately, even if you walked around all the bookstores on this street, the Leaky Cauldron would not be near them. But fans who make it to Ledengal Market, one of London's oldest indoor markets, will see a lot of familiar things.

This is what the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron looks like for Muggles. You can buy glasses like Harry Potter from this optician.

There are other places in London associated with the Harry Potter stories. You can, for example, look for house number 12 in Grimmauld Place (and not find it), try to localize the building of the Ministry of Magic (the worst magicians of our time are working on its disguise), or admire the reptiles in the London Zoo, where Harry first discovered his parselmouth abilities. But instead, we will invite you to go to where they are waiting for you.

Market from the film "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone".

Leavesden. Harry Potter Museum at Warner Bros. Studios

This is, of course, the Harry Potter Museum, located in Leavesden, a suburb of London, at the Warner Bros. studio where all eight films about the Boy Who Lived were filmed. After filming ended, two huge pavilions and an open area were turned into a museum. Here you can admire drawings and models, sets and costumes, as well as various items made for filming.

Viewers can enjoy a 16-meter model of Hogwarts Castle and many decorations, including the Great Hall with covered house tables (you can sit at them), the Potions classroom, Mrs. Weasley's kitchen, where household utensils work by themselves, Hagrid's hut, Dumbledore's office... You can carefully study different models of brooms, look at moving portraits, look at the “Monstrous Book of Monsters” (from a distance - in case it bites), buy a wand or a magic textbook...

Giant chess from The Philosopher's Stone.

The museum has many interactive exhibits, offers tours and, of course, sells souvenirs. Particularly worth noting is the “Sweet Kingdom” store recreated here with not quite magical sweets and a bar where you can try butterbeer, which all the Potter characters constantly drink (in the studio it is non-alcoholic, in the books it is not clear).

You can get to the studio by train from Euston station (you need to go to Watford Junction station). The trip costs £2 and lasts just 20 minutes. There is a bus from the station to the studio, the ticket costs £1.50. A ticket to the museum must be purchased online in advance and will cost £20-40.

Luke to the Chamber of Secrets. They are not allowed inside.

Book on napkins

As any self-respecting fan knows, JK Rowling wrote down the first Harry Potter book on napkins while sitting in a cafe in the evenings. It is also reliably known what kind of cafe this is: The Elephant House in the center of Edinburgh, a very simple coffee shop. Now there is always a crowd there, but you can drink tea or coffee. Cafe address: 32 Marshall Street, Edinburgh.

West Highland Line. Hogwarts Express

Most Hogwarts students come to school by train on the London-Hogsmeade route, the so-called Hogwarts Express. The train scenes were filmed on the West Highland Line, a real route used by a real coal-fired steam locomotive. It is called the Jacobite Steam Train and has been running in the north of Scotland (as you know, this is where Hogwarts is located) since the beginning of the 20th century.

The train consists of restored carriages from 1956, and in one of the carriages the atmosphere of the Hogwarts Express from the film is completely repeated, even with a trolley with sweets. True, you can get into this carriage only if all other tickets have already been sold - wizards still prefer to travel without Muggles. An adult return ticket costs £58 and a one-way ticket costs £51.

The same Jacobite steam locomotive that played the Hogwarts Express.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Britain's most scenic railway line.

Castles and cathedrals. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Most of the action of the saga takes place directly in Hogwarts castle. An ideal character was not found either in Scotland or in England, so several castles, cathedrals and universities are depicted on the screen of Hogwarts.
We'll start with Enwick Castle, considered the second largest residential castle in the UK. It is located in the north of England, almost on the border with Scotland, and belongs to the Dukes of Northumberland.

It was under these walls that little Harry learned to fly on a broomstick - and even now free flying lessons are held here for everyone. Anyone can try to fly. Some people succeed.

Envik: one of the castles that became the on-screen embodiment of Hogwarts.

Hogwarts' corridors and galleries were provided by the ancient Norman cathedral in the city of Gloucester, a two-hour drive from London. Most scenes from the first and second films were filmed here. They say that the spirits of monks still live in the dungeon of the cathedral. And now, perhaps, one of the Hogwarts ghosts.

Professor McGonagall's office was located in the house of the rector of the Durham Cathedral of Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. Cuthbert. The courtyard of the same cathedral turned into the courtyard of Hogwarts, where Harry lets his owl fly.

Both of these cathedrals (as well as Durham Castle, located next to the church of the same name) were built in the 11th-12th centuries and are incredibly beautiful even without any Harry Potter. But it’s probably more interesting with him.

Hogwarts Indoor Gallery in Gloucester.

Well, most of the locations where filming took place can be found in Oxford, the most famous university city in England. This is quite logical, because Hogwarts is in many ways “written off” from Oxford.

The Oxford University Library (named after Sir Thomas Bodley, a famous collector of ancient manuscripts) competes with the Vatican for the title of the oldest library in Europe. It occupies five huge buildings, and its premises have repeatedly appeared in films. Actually, the library itself - a medieval collection of books by Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester - turned into the Hogwarts library. In the Middle Ages, all the books in it were chained to the shelves, as in the Forbidden Section of the Hogwarts Library, and to this day books from this collection are not loaned to readers at home.

Halls of the Oxford Library. I didn't even have to redo anything.

The hall of the theological department of the library turned into the hospital wing of the magic school. This hall is considered one of the masterpieces of English Gothic architecture - and one of the first examination halls in history. Now it can be rented for a wedding or other event.

And finally, the building of Christ Church College, the oldest and most prestigious in Oxford, also gave Hogwarts a lot. First of all, of course, the Great Hall. This hall, where most of the main events in the lives of young wizards took place, was filmed in the dining hall of Christ Church. Many scenes were filmed both in the courtyard of this college and in the interior premises.

Christ Church. It's a shame the portraits don't move.

Buckinghamshire. forbidden Forest

Finally, we will tell you about two more places that not only appeared on the screen in the Harry Potter saga, but are also absolutely charming in themselves.

Firstly, this is the so-called “Black Park” in Buckinghamshire, just a little over thirty kilometers from London. This is a nature reserve, considered a Site of Special Scientific Significance, but this is not what interests us, but the fact that this park has appeared on screen almost more often than any other in the UK. It can be seen in the films "The Curse of Frankenstein", "Dracula: Prince of Darkness", where the park depicts Transylvania, in several James Bond films, in "Batman" and "Captain America" ​​and even in "Forty-Seven Ronin".

And in the films about Harry Potter, this park became the Forbidden Forest - because even in the clearest weather, twilight reigns in some of its areas.

Wiltshire. Godric's Hollow

Another place we bring to your attention is the village of Lacock in Wiltshire, near Bath. This village is mentioned in the materials of the first population census in Europe. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Abbey of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernard was founded here, which has remained completely intact to this day. And all the houses currently standing in the village itself were built no later than the mid-18th century, and some much earlier. The entire village is owned by the UK National Trust and is considered one of the most picturesque places in England. On the screen, it turned into Godric's Hollow, where Harry's parents lived, and some of the interiors of Hogwarts Castle were filmed within the walls of the abbey.

A typical English village.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

All the real Potter locations are in Britain. But what should tens of thousands of US fans do? They were taken care of too.

Florida has more huge theme parks than anywhere else. There is the world's largest Disneyland, a huge water park, Universal studio parks... The city of Orlando is one of the most prosperous tourist centers in the world. They also opened a park here entirely dedicated to Harry Potter.

Life-size American Hogwarts.

It covers an area of ​​eight hectares. Here is the village of Hogsmeade (the only village in Britain where only wizards live) - the Hogwarts Express stands at the station, you can send a letter with a Hogsmeade postmark from the postal station, the most famous confectionery in the wizarding world “Sweet Kingdom” and a magic joke shop “ Zonko" (where you can buy, for example, retractable ears or a boxing telescope), the legendary pubs "The Three Broomsticks" and "The Hog's Head", as well as a magic wand shop, where it is not the buyer who chooses the wand, but the wand - his.

The Hogwarts school is also recreated in the park with classrooms, bedrooms, living portraits... There are also many attractions here, such as flying a hippogriff (a variation on the theme of a roller coaster) and the Road of Terror with dementors and the Whomping Willow. Most of the castle is occupied by the “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” attraction, but the halls and offices available for inspection reproduce to the smallest detail the interiors shown in the film.

The story of the “boy who lived” captivated the whole world even at the book stage. And when movies began to come out one after another, fans completely lost peace. London fans are especially lucky; they have the unique opportunity to see the legendary locations where Harry Potter was filmed at any time. Filming began in 2000, and with each new film the number of memorable places increased. London itself became one of the main backdrops for the scenery.

Where was Harry Potter filmed in London?

In both books and films, London is the place where the story of the young wizard Harry Potter begins. Here, hidden from the prying eyes of Muggles, there are many magical institutions, organizations, institutions where various events of the wizarding world took place. The Harry Potter filming locations are easy to find on a map of London, because in real life they are not hidden by spells. The alleys and platforms, shops and streets, buildings and squares where Harry Potter was filmed are listed in Russian in special guides. So, let's go through the main places.

One of the first places in the film where Harry Potter was filmed is King's Cross Station, a real-life train station in London. The building, which is unremarkable in appearance, echoes from the inside with painfully familiar interiors. It was here that Hogwarts students gathered on September 1 to go into the world of magic and witchcraft for the whole academic year. There is a special photo zone in the hall of the magical King's Cross Station, where all fans take pictures wearing scarves from different faculties, Harry's glasses, or carrying an owl's cage. And over there you can see the building of St. Pancras station, also familiar from the scenes from the film.

Having taken plenty of photographs and seen enough souvenirs in a shop nearby, we move on. To the same platform 9 3/4 from which the famous red Hogwarts Express train departs and arrives. In order to get to the platform, you need to go through the turnstiles to the real platforms No. 9 and No. 10. This simple route was followed by all Hogwarts students, fearfully closing their eyes the first time, and bravely pushing the cart with their things the next time. These places where Harry Potter was filmed are very popular and there are always a lot of people here.

Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron

We head to London's Charing Cross Road. According to the book plot, the façade of the Leaky Cauldron bar opens here, through which magicians can enter Diagon Alley. If you can't see the sign and find the entrance, don't be discouraged. This means that you are the same Muggle as thousands of other passers-by.

The backdrop for Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron was the town's Leadenhall Shopping Centre. If you want to know how the filming of Harry Potter went, wander through the shopping arcades of the ancient market. You will find many familiar places.

In the second part, the Leaky Cauldron moved to Borrow Market.

Some scenes from Diagon Alley were actually filmed outside of London, in York. Do you recognize these black and white houses? They were the ones who appeared in some of the shots.

Next stop is Great Scotland Yard in St James's. The Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter is located in this very place. If you don't see the entrance, it means the magical employees are doing a great job. No information leakage.

A beautiful building with interesting sculptures on the facade on Strand Street - in reality, Australia House, and in the magical world, a huge Gringotts bank, where all magicians keep their savings. Remember the gigantic halls of the magic bank, partly they are located in this very building. Getting inside is quite problematic, but no one will forbid you to admire the appearance of Gringotts Bank from Harry Potter.

One of the largest zoos in the world also served as the setting for the famous film. Filming of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” took place in the terrarium of the London Zoo. It is there that the young wizard realizes that he can understand the snake's language. Listen to the rustling of these mysterious reptiles, maybe you also have this ability?

Even if not, a walk through the London Zoo will compensate for the frustration of not having the makings of magic. There are about 5,000 animal species here, including rare specimens.

Bridges of London

There are many bridges in London; it is not surprising that some of them appeared in films about the good and brave wizard Harry Potter. For example, the beautiful Millennium pedestrian bridge was destroyed by Death Eaters.

And across Lambeth Bridge there was a bus with Harry himself, compressed on both sides by massive double deckers.

So you have visited the main filming locations for the Harry Potter films in London. It is better to walk through them leisurely, because they are not only famous scenery, but also very beautiful architectural monuments of past centuries.

Video from the filming of Harry Potter

The saga of the boy who lived is loved by children and adults around the world. Over the years of the franchise's existence, the films have completely changed their style and focus. From children's fairy tales, Harry Potter has transformed into a serious movie about good and evil, where there is a place for both love and cruelty.

Perhaps one of the reasons for the colossal popularity of the saga is the stunning landscapes and scenery. They create that same feeling of magic that leaves no one indifferent. However, not all fans of the franchise know where Harry Potter was filmed. Below we will tell you about the most beautiful places that probably everyone dreams of visiting.

Where was Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry in the Harry Potter films, filmed?

Hogwarts is the famous school where the boy who lived studied for seven years. In the film adaptations we see a huge medieval building with hundreds of rooms, high ceilings and magical staircases that can change their direction.

In reality, Hogwarts was filmed in several locations. The main inspiration for the creators was the Enik (Alnwick) castle of the 11th century. A huge structure stands on the border of Great Britain and Scotland.

This place has an extremely rich and tragic history. The fact is that the de Vessey family, which owned the castle for several centuries, was in confrontation with the ruling dynasty of English kings. As a result, the descendants of Ivo de Vessi continually raised uprisings, which invariably ended in bloodshed.

Nowadays, the castle is inhabited by its owners, so travelers can only visit some sections of it. The ticket price is 12.5 euros.

It was in this place that many of the location shots of Hogwarts were filmed, as well as the famous first flight of the young wizard from the film “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”.

Quidditch competitions from the books were also recreated on the ideal lawns in front of the castle. By the way, an interesting attraction has been invented here for tourists: they can jump on brooms on the lawn in front of Enik, and even take part in a Quidditch match.

Of course, set designers had to rack their brains over how to recreate JK Rowling's fantasies in all their glory on screen. This is why many important parts of the films that took place at Hogwarts were actually filmed away from Enik Castle. Where else can you find familiar corners that have become part of the school of witchcraft and wizardry?

1. Oxford University. Numerous cafeteria scenes and receptions from Harry Potter were filmed in the university's dining hall. The staircase scenes were also filmed here. The corridors of Britain's oldest university have also been used on numerous occasions to create key film scenes.

   
   Oxford University

2. Bodleian Library. It was here that scenes in the library were filmed with the participation of the main book fan of the saga - Hermione and her friends. The library is also located on the territory of the University of Oxford. It stores more than 11 million books, including unique and extremely rare copies of the medieval era.

   Bodleian Library

3. Gloucester Cathedral. It is located just two hours from London. The covered galleries of this architectural marvel were often used to recreate the corridors of Hogwarts. The Gryffindor boys' dormitory, scenes with talking portraits - these moments were also filmed here.

   Gloucester Cathedral

4. Leavesden Studio. Unfortunately, the creators could not get by with just location filming in the most beautiful places in Great Britain and Scotland. That is why a huge Hogwarts set, amazing in its scale, was erected within the walls of the Leavesden studio. Now there are excursions around this studio, because it contains unique decorations that recreate the most famous moments from the films.

Hagrid's Hut and the Forbidden Forest

Harry Potter's faithful friend Rubeus Hagrid lives in a tiny hut, which is located in an incredibly picturesque place among green meadows.

Finding such a magical place was not easy, and so the creators of the paintings went to Scotland, namely to the Glencoe Valley. Many travelers call this place the most extraordinary in Scotland. This is where Hagrid's hut was built. Now, of course, it is not there, but the picturesque views have been preserved.

The Forbidden Forest is a place where centaurs, unicorns and other magical creatures live. According to the plot of the film, it is located next to Hogwarts, and students are strictly prohibited from visiting the forest.

In fact, this magical place is located in Buckinghamshire, 32 kilometers from London. It’s not easy for Black Park to get its gloomy name, because even on the sunniest days pitch darkness reigns here.

Hogsmeade and the railway leading to Hogwarts

Hogsmeade is a small village located next to Hogwarts, where students usually arrive by train from platform 9 ¾.

The prototype of this place was the village of Gotland and the local railway station, which was significantly transformed thanks to special effects.

The village is located in North Yorkshire, and its population is only 500 people. To the disappointment of frenzied tourists, there is neither a hut with a funny name and a bad reputation, nor a grand store with sweets.

The same railway along the route of the Hogwarts Express deserves special mention. It was filmed in the UK, and the West Highland Line itself officially holds the status of the most beautiful in the country. The Glenfinnan Valley is actually home to the 21-arch bridge that fans know from the films.

The most interesting thing is that every traveler can feel like a Hogwarts student. To do this, he needs to take a ticket on a real London steam locomotive traveling along the Fort William-Mallaig route from London. Before traveling, you need to consider the following nuances:

• the magical steam locomotive runs along the tourist route only from May to mid-October;
• an adult train ticket will cost 34 euros;
• local carriages were produced back in 1956, so they look authentic, but they also travel slowly;
• in carriage D the atmosphere of the Hogwarts Express is completely recreated. There is even a trolley with a variety of sweets.

Of course, the locomotive travels very slowly, so the tourist has the opportunity to see all the sights.

Diagon Alley

It was in this mysterious and noisy place that wizards from all over the country purchased the magical artifacts they needed. Ollivander's shop was located here, as well as shops selling pets, sweets and potions.

Diagon Alley was filmed on the site of London's famous Lindenhall Market. And the Leaky Cauldron bar, through which you could get to Diagon Alley, was filmed in an optical store, also located in this market.

Some scenes associated with this location were recreated on the ancient street of Chamblay in the heart of York.

For the third film, filming of Diagon Alley moved to another market, Borough Market, also located in London. Fortunately, it turned out to be no less picturesque.

Ministry of Magic

If a traveler dreams of finding the real Ministry of Magic, he will be disappointed. The fact is that everything shown on the screen is a gigantic and very complex set located in the pavilions of Warner Bros Studio London. Now tourists can visit these sets, see the very fireplaces through which one could get into the ministry, and appreciate the scale of the famous sculpture from the last parts of the film.

But there really is an entrance for visitors in the form of a telephone booth. It is located in St James's on Great Scotland Yard.

Privet Drive and King's Cross Station

Harry Potter's childhood home is actually located on Picket Post Close in Little Whinging. All the scenes that unfolded during the famous wizard’s summer vacation took place here.

Another important attraction for fans of the saga is King's Cross railway station. It was here that the magical adventures of the heroes invariably began. The station is located in the London station building. There's even a recreation of Platform 9 ¾ inside where you can take a photo with the Harry Potter cart. On the station grounds, next to tracks 9 and 10, there is a souvenir shop where you can purchase numerous artifacts from the films.

Of course, there are many more places where the filming of the saga about the boy with the scar was organized and it is almost impossible to talk about all of them in detail. That is why excursions to the places of the beloved saga are so popular in the UK. The main advantage of such a trip is not the beautiful views, but the opportunity to plunge into a fairy tale at least for a few hours.

I dare to suggest that on our friendly site there are many fans of the young wizard. Personally, I am sad that the story is over, the Dark Lord is destroyed, and Harry has grown up...:)
However, I digress a little from the topic. So, do Potter's fairy tale places, magical castles and dense forests exist? It turned out that they actually exist! I invite you to take a short trip.
Let's start with Scotland.
Scottish picturesque landscapes have become the setting many times during the filming of the Harry Potter saga. At the same time, the exact location of Hogwarts was never mentioned in the books, however, judging by some interviews with JK Rowling, Scotland was chosen as the “homeland” of the school of witchcraft. It is possible that this country, known for its castles and luxurious mansions, became a powerful source of inspiration for Rowling. By the way, the Western Highland Railway in Scotland was used during filming of the Hogwarts Express.

forbidden Forest
Filming Location: Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire


The trees in the thicket of this forest grow so densely that there is twilight even on the brightest sunny day.

Big hall
Filming location: Christ Church College, St Aldate's, Oxford, Oxfordshire
The film crew of the Harry Potter films did not miss Oxford, one of the spiritual capitals of England. Filming took place at the famous Christ Church College, dedicated in the name of Lewis Carroll, who studied there (scientists estimate that he ate 8,000 breakfasts, lunches and dinners in the local canteen), and the famous Bodlein Library in the city center. Christ Church is perhaps the most prestigious Oxford college (although all the other Oxford colleges would hardly agree with us here) and certainly the most snobbish in the most snobbish city in the world. It was a great success to graduate from Christ Church. Albert Einstein and William Gladstone studied here. It is the largest college in Oxford and takes credit for the fact that it has been founded several times. First Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1525, and then Henry VIII in 1546. In it, noble-looking gentlemen in all black and black bowlers keep order - they would look comical if they did not behave so majestically.





Thirteen British Prime Ministers have graduated from Christ Church College, which is equal to the number of Prime Ministers who have graduated from the other 45 Oxford colleges and more than any single college at Cambridge University.

Hogwarts Library
Filming Location: Bodleian Library, Oxford

The Bodleian Library is a library at the University of Oxford, which challenges the Vatican for the right to be called the oldest in Europe, and the British for the title of the largest book collection in Great Britain. Since 1610 (officially - since 1662) it has been granted the right to receive a legal copy of all publications published in the country.

Godric's Hollow
Filming Location: Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire




A charming place near Bath, Wiltshire, with a small population (just over 1000 people). Lacock is a national treasure of England and is considered one of the oldest places in Great Britain. The construction of many buildings began in the 13th century. Here you can see the house of Harry Potter's parents and the abode of Horace Slughorn.

Hogwarts corridors
Filming Location: Gloucester Cathedral


The Hogwarts school gained its cinematic face thanks to the cathedral in Gloucester - one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Britain, especially proud of its covered galleries. It was along them, tinted by the computer, that frightened Harry, Ron and Hermione ran. And inside the cathedral, classes were held at Hogwarts School. Some parishioners protested against filming in the cathedral, since the attitude towards Harry Potter in England (and not only) is ambiguous. Dissenters argued that making the cathedral a location for filming a film about witchcraft was unacceptable. And yet the filming took place, one of the arguments of the spiritual leadership was that “Harry Potter” is a good children’s book, and filming in the cathedral would give the film the necessary spirituality.

Hogsmeade Station
Filming Location: Goathland Station, North Yorkshire


Hogsmeade Station, where Hogwarts Express arrives, taking all students to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was filmed at the station in Goathland, Yorkshire. This small town with a population of just over 400 people is served by the second oldest railway in the United Kingdom.
By the way, the steam locomotive GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall, which once belonged to the British company Great Western Railway and built in 1937, was used as the Hogwarts Express in this and subsequent films. Since 2004, private tour operator Beyond Boundaries Travel has been organizing tours of Britain exclusively for Harry Potter fans on it.

According to the book, the school's students go to Hogwarts from the invisible platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, which can be reached through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. However, it turned out that at King's Cross Station platforms 9 and 10 are not in the main building, but in a separate building and they are separated not by a barrier, but by two railway tracks. In one of her interviews, J.K. Rowling admitted her mistake and said that she had mixed up London's King's Cross and Euston stations, although at the second station platforms 9 and 10 are also separated by tracks, not a barrier. For the filming of the film, platforms 4 and 5, which are located in the main part of King's Cross Station, were used and were simply renamed 9 and 10 for a while. Subsequently, a cast iron sign “Platform” was placed on the wall of the building where the real platforms 9 and 10 are located 9 3/4”, and below it is mounted a quarter of a luggage cart, the rest of which has already disappeared into the wall.

McGonagall's office
Filming Location: Durham Cathedral


Durham Cathedral of Christ, Mary and St. Cuthbert's (Durham Cathedral) is the first monument in the UK to be designated (along with neighboring Durham Castle) as a World Heritage Site. It is the purest example of a Norman adaptation of the Romanesque style.

Hogwarts School - Broomstick Flying And Quidditch Scenes
Filming location: Alnwick Castle




Alnwick Castle has been owned by the Dukes of Northumberland for almost 700 years. The current, 12th owner has inherited the second largest inhabited castle in Britain. Alnwick, which means farm on the River En, was first mentioned in the 11th century chronicles, when the Scottish king Malcolm Canmore was killed within a mile of the city wall. The directors of many feature films drew attention to the medieval gloom of the fortress: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner and, of course, Harry Potter were filmed here.
It is in Alnwick Castle that the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft is located. For some reason, you believe that in such a castle a novice wizard can be severely punished for any offense, for example, hung from the ceiling for a week.
Next to Hogwarts is the Forbidden Forest, home to werewolves and unicorns, whose blood, at the cost of eternal damnation, can save you from certain death. For the filming of the film, the forest near Alnwick Castle turned out to be thin and there was no place for the centaurs, who loved to look at the stars. But the appearance of the castle and its courtyards were perfectly suited for creating the on-screen image of a school of wizards. Inside Hogwarts, Harry learned to control a broom and caught the Reminder, which glistened in the sun like a Snitch. True, in the book this episode took place outside the school, in a flat clearing. To get there you had to walk down a hill.
Some scenes from the Quidditch final were also filmed at Alnwick Castle. Let me remind you that Harry was the youngest player in the last hundred years :))).
Ministry of Magic
Filming location: Great Scotland Yard, Scotland Place


A street in the area of ​​St James's Westminster, London, connecting Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall. The location is famous for being the rear entrance to the headquarters of the London Police Service.

Diagon Alley
Filming location: Leadenhall


Leadenhall Market in London was partially used for the filming of Diagon Alley. This is a huge food market that has existed since the Middle Ages to the present day. Its ornate Victorian covered shopping arcades are spectacular. In the first Harry Potter film, Leadenhall's corner shop served as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, through which, by touching the correct bricks of the wall, one can enter Diagon Alley.

Dursley House, Privet Drive4 filmed at Martin's Heron, Bracklen, Berkshire, Picket Postclose12.
London Zoo Terrarium was filmed at London City Zoo, Regent's Park.
The London Underground was filmed on the Waterlow and City line.
Gringotts Bank was filmed in London, Aldwych, Australia House.

Quote from the internet:
"... once it seemed that Harry Potter was something endless...
like Santa Barbara of the 21st century, or like the concert activities of Alla Pugacheva.
like a line in the cafeteria after the third class or like a class on Russian literature in the first year.
but come on, it’s already the last film... goosebumps? goosebumps...;)))"

And a few more interesting shots from the filming

I hope you weren't bored, thanks for stopping by!