Exploring the UK Harry Potter Filming Locations {2025 Update}

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Before the pandemic we made a plan to visit all of the Harry Potter filming locations across the UK and I managed to give an update of our progress so far in June 2020. But, since then, that challenge has been put on the back burner.

However, a trip up north over the Easter holidays inspired us to pick up the baton again and try to tick off more Harry Potter filming locations. So I thought it was time we updated this post with how we’re doing so far and where we still have to visit.

So here’s how we’re doing with our tour of the UK Harry Potter filming locations:

St. Pancras and King’s Cross Stations, London (Platform 9¾)

We had a weekend in London in November 2022 for Dave’s birthday. The weekend started off with a bus tour around London that we picked up at King’s Cross. Whilst killing time before our bus arrive, we had a wander around King’s Cross, saw Platform 9¾ and walked by the Harry Potter shop. Sadly though, I didn’t take a photo!

Bull’s Head Passage, Leadenhall Market, London (Diagon Alley and Leaky Cauldron)

Borough Market, London (Leaky Cauldron)

Piccadilly Circus, London

In February 2020 we had a trip to London for a movie screening and went for a wander through the city afterwards. We walked through Piccadilly Circus, where Harry, Hermione and Ron rush through in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and they nearly get hit by a bus!

Australia House, London 

Our walk took us past Australia House too which is almost unrecognisable as Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter movies.

Scotland Place and Scotland Yard, London

The last stop on our walk was to the corner of Scotland Place and Scotland Yard where a telephone box once stood as the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. I wonder how they get inside now?!

Millennium Bridge, London

The Millennium Bridge is something we walk across often when we visit London and I know I have personally walked across it half a dozen times since I planned this tour of the Harry Potter locations – and a couple of times as a family too. It’s such an iconic part of London!

Reptile House, London Zoo, London

We went to London Zoo in March 2024 and, at the time, they were building a new Reptile House and the one from the Harry Potter movie was closed, waiting for a use to be found and some redevelopment work to be done.

Claremont Square, London (Grimmauld Place)

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London (Exterior of Kings Cross Station)

Seven Sisters Cliffs, East Sussex

12 Picket Post Close, Bracknell (4 Privet Drive)

We live so close to the house where the Dursleys lived in the Harry Potter movies but had never seen it for ourselves – until we drove past it one day! It was only used in the first movie and was then built as a set.

Swinley Forest, Bracknell

Swinley Forest is somewhere we visit quite often. It’s where the Look Out Discovery Centre is – and where Little Man had a birthday party before the pandemic too. The children love knowing that parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed there!

Black Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire

We went to Black Park a couple of weeks ago to do Go Ape as a family but actually had a lovely wander around the lake and through the forest too. It’s where in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hagrid shows Harry crated dragons.

Virginia Water (Hogwarts Lake)

We went on a bike ride to Virginia Water and the children loved it. It’s somewhere I go to run quite often and although the lake is so familiar to me it was lovely to see it with fresh eyes – as the Hogwarts Lake and a filming location.

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire (Snape’s potion classroom)

Gloucester Cathedral (Hogwarts interior)

Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian Library, Oxford (Hogwarts Library)

Christ Church College, Oxford (Hogwarts Infirmary)

Ashridge Wood, Hertfordshire (Quidditch World Cup and home of Whomping Willow)

Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire (Malfoy Manor)

At the start of 2019 we had a weekend at Darwin Forest and went to Hardwick Hall whilst we were there. It’s probably one of the most impressive National Trust properties we have been to and it was immediately obvious why it had been chosen to star as Malfoy Manor in the movies.

Forest of Dean

Lavenham, Suffolk (Godric’s Hollow)

Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales (Shall Cottage Backdrop)

Durham Cathedral (Hogwarts 0exterior and Professor McGonagall’s classroom)

In the Easter holidays we went up to the North East and spent a day in Durham, exploring the cathedral and walking in Harry’s footsteps! The cathedral has a few little exhibits related to the Harry Potter movies which help you to see exactly where filming took place. It’s well worth a visit.

Alnwick Castle, Northumberland (Hogwarts exterior)

Our last day in the North East was spent in Alnwick and Alnwick Castle has to be one of the best castles I have ever been to. It was such a great day out – and the kids even had broomstick lessons too!

The Shambles, York (Diagon Alley)

We spent a week in Yorkshire in 2022 and walked along The Shambles a fair few times. It was always so busy, as expected, but it had so much character too. It was a great place to spend time, despite the crowds.

Malham Cove, North Yorkshire

Goathland Station, North Yorkshire (Hogsmeade Station)

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

Loch Etive, Glen Coe, Loch Eilit and Loch Arkaig, Scotland (Backdrop to the Harry Potter movies)

Since originally writing this I have come across a few more Harry Potter filming locations that I thought I should add in and try to visit too! So here are the extras:

Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset

We actually visited Abbotsbury Swannery in 2021 on a holiday to Weymouth and, unbeknownst to us, it was the home of The Burrow. It’s a great place to visit – not just for its connection to Harry Potter!

Black Rock Gorge, Scottish Highlands

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

Blenheim Palace is such a great day out and somewhere we visit often. In the movies that are flashbacks of Harry’s father tormenting a much younger Severus Snape which were filmed at Blenheim Palace.

Burnham Beeches, South Buckinghamshire

Chapel Hill, Wiltshire

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

Divinity School, University of Oxford

Harrow School, London

Ivinghoe Beacon, Chiltern Hills

So there you have it, all the places we’ve ticked off our Harry Potter locations list and many more we still need to visit! I can feel trips to Wiltshire, Suffolk and Scotland on the horizon! I’ll do another update when we’ve ticked a few more off.

If you’re looking for more Harry Potter inspiration and things to do, these articles might help:

• The Best Harry Potter Things in London
• Bookish Things To Do in London
• Where to have Disney Afternoon Tea in London
• The Best Disney Things to do in London
• Animal Things to do in London
• Things to do on a Sunny Day in London