Our love for all things Harry Potter shows no signs of abating. From reading all of the books, watching the films, taking the studio tours, and getting our wands into action at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida we have loved exploring and learning more about the delights of the Potter world. Our children love taking trips to the Harry Potter filming locations in the UK. They are such evocative sites. The Harry Potter film locations have been chosen with such care, they are special places. Every one of these Harry Potter locations is well worth a trip. They’re a day out in their own right. Whether you’re looking for Harry Potter filming locations UK wide or Harry Potter locations Scotland style, we have them all for you.
👩💻 About the author – Nichola is a family travel expert and has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, Lonely Planet Magazine and Wanderlust, amongst many others. She’s spent over a decade travelling the world with her children, finding the best places for you to explore too.
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Table of Contents
1. Kings Cross station – Harry Potter locations London
Kings Cross station in the heart of London is the location where Harry returns to the wizarding world. He took the train here to take him back to Hogwarts. Seeking out the now infamous Platform 9 ¾ via a magical wall Harry and friends would then board the Hogwarts Express. The station was actually used in the films with platforms four and five stepping in for 9 and 10. You can also find a luggage cart passing through the wall here and a certain amount of Potter paraphernalia in the station shops.Why not also check out the replica station on the outskirts of London at the Warner Brothers studios where the films were made.
2. Malham Cove, the Yorkshire Dales – Harry Potter filming locations
With Voldemort returned, Harry and Hermione need places to hide out in the Deathly Hallows. The rocky retreat used in the film was based at Malham Cove. This is an inland limestone rock formation in the Yorkshire Dales. This popular spot with tourists was carved out thousands of years ago by a waterfall which ran through the area.
3. Durham Cathedral, Durham
As you explore the grounds and interior of Durham Cathedral you may feel a touch of magic in the air. The Cathedral played a starring role in the Potter films doubling as Hogwarts. One of a number of locations which was used in the films as the school for young wizards and witches. The Cathedral which was founded nearly 1000 years ago sits overlooking the medieval city and is now a World Heritage Site.
4. London Zoo’s Reptile House – Harry Potter filming locations in LONDON
Early in the first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry starts to discover he may have some magical skills and the power to talk to snakes. This is a skill which will come in very handy in his later adventures. All of this takes places at the Reptile House in London Zoo, based in Regent’s Park. The Zoo, one of the world’s oldest, is an incredible place to visit and explore with nearly 700 different species located within its walls. You can see the snake tank used in the film, now home to a black mamba.
5. Alnwick Castle, Northumberland – 10 top locations for muggles to track down Harry Potter filming locations in England
Alnwick is the second largest castle in the whole of England which is still used as an ancestral home. The castle was used for some of the exterior shots of Hogwarts. For the past seven centuries it has served as the home to the Dukes of Northumberland. Every year the castle opens its doors to the public for the whole of the summer. It has become something of a must visit destination thanks to its appearances in a number of the Potter films.
6. Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
We think Lacock Abbey and the village of Lacock are a sheer delight to explore. Stepping into these wonderful locations will make you feel like you have walked into the past, to a time when Henry Fox Talbot a pioneer in photography, used the Abbey as his family home.The Abbey’s cloisters were featured a number of times in both Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and the Half Blood Prince. Dating back to the reign of Henry III it is a lovely place to wander. The village itself is quintessentially English and timeless.
7. Goathland Train Station, North Yorkshire
The train station at Goathland on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a famous location for many UK TV productions including Heartbeat and All Creatures Great and Small. For Harry Potter fans, it will be recognised as the infamous Hogsmeade Station, where the pupils disembark for Hogwarts. For those wanting to get a taste of what it might have been like for Harry and friends to disembark at the station from a genuine steam train, there are regular services from nearby Whitby and Pickering.
8. Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire
The Ashridge Estate was made famous in the Potter universe when its common and woods were used as the location for the Quidditch World Cup. Here Harry met many of the characters who would become a big part of the later books. He also saw the work of the Death Eaters, and the appearance of the Dark Mark for the first time. The woods, part of the wider estate, are well known for their flowering plants and perfect for family walks.
9. Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
The Malfoy’s Mansion becomes the headquarters for the evil Death Eaters during the Potter novels. The imposing Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire became the location for the mansion in the film series. Now owned and run by the National Trust, the Mansion which was originally designed to show off the wealth of the owners, is open to the public year round. The exterior and interior of the Mansion was used in the films and it is a real joy to explore both the home and the gardens of this imposing house.
10. Gloucester Cathedral – Harry Potter filming locations in England
Featuring in no less than three of the Harry Potter films, Gloucester Cathedral‘s impressive cloisters were a natural choice as a setting for the corridors of Hogwarts school. A popular choice with film makers and TV makers, the building of the Cathedral began back as early as 1089. It is an incredible building to visit and explore. You may even be able to spot the stained glass windows which date back 900 years and appear to show medieval football and the first ever appearance of the game of golf…but sadly no Quidditch.
11. Leadenhall Market, London
This beautiful Victorian market in the City of London was used as the exterior for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. In particular, the blue door of an optician’s shop in the market stood in for the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. The market, with its ornate roof structure and cobbled floors, is the perfect place for a stroll back into the wizarding world.
12. Glenfinnan Viaduct – Harry Potter locations Scotland
The sweeping viaduct which carries the Hogwarts Express over the Scottish Highlands is the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Located near Loch Shiel, this iconic piece of engineering features in several of the films, particularly in the Chamber of Secrets where Harry and Ron fly the enchanted Ford Anglia alongside the train. The Jacobite steam train which travels this route is a magical experience for any fan.
13. Oxford University, Oxford – Harry Potter filming locations
Several locations around the historic Oxford University were used in the films. The grand Bodleian Library’s Divinity School doubled as Hogwarts’ infirmary. Meanwhile, Christ Church College’s impressive staircase and Great Hall helped inspire the set design for Hogwarts’ own Great Hall.
🔎 Harry Potter locations Oxford
14. Lacock village, Wiltshire
Not just the Abbey, but the whole village of Lacock has strong Potter connections. Scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the Half Blood Prince were filmed here, including shots of Harry’s parents’ house. Wandering through the atmospheric streets feels like stepping straight into the wizarding world.
15. Claremont Square, London
Claremont Square, near King’s Cross, was used as the exterior location for Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of Sirius Black. The terrace of Georgian townhouses was digitally altered in the films, but fans will easily spot the familiar layout from the Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows films.
16. Loch Etive, Scotland – Harry Potter locations Scotland
During their search for Horcruxes in the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione camp beside the remote and dramatic waters of Loch Etive. The wild and haunting beauty of the Scottish Highlands adds a real sense of isolation and magic to the scenes.
17. Australia House, London
The grand interior of Australia House on the Strand stood in for Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the first film. Although the building is not usually open to the public, the stunning marble interior provided the perfect setting for the wizarding world’s most secure bank.
18. Black Park, Buckinghamshire
Located near the Pinewood Studios, Black Park’s dense woods were used for scenes involving the Forbidden Forest. This ancient woodland is perfect for families looking for an adventurous walk, and you might just imagine centaurs or acromantulas hiding among the trees.
19. Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales
This beautiful beach in Wales was used for the emotional scenes at Shell Cottage in the Deathly Hallows films. It was here that Dobby’s moving final scenes were filmed, and there is even a small memorial left by fans in honour of the beloved house-elf.
20. Millennium Bridge, London – Harry Potter filming locations
The Millennium Bridge makes a dramatic appearance in the opening scenes of the Half Blood Prince when it is destroyed by Death Eaters. The real-life bridge, which spans the Thames between St Paul’s Cathedral and Tate Modern, is of course still standing and offers fantastic views across the city.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of the top locations for muggles to track down Harry Potter filming locations in the UK. Check out our feature on the top Harry Potter filming locations in Oxford here for more fun.
So many fab days out if you love the Harry Potter books – we are lucky to live here!