As we remember from books and films, Hogwarts is a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where children from all over England with magical abilities were taught magic.
The school was located in the mountains of Scotland in an ancient eight-story castle. As you can probably guess, the Hogwarts school building as we see it in the film does not exist in reality.
And for the most part, Hogwarts was built at Leavesden Studios and exists there as a set for the filming of the Harry Potter films. Quite impressive in size, with the help of special effects they create the feeling of a very real castle. But we'll talk about this later when we go to the Harry Potter Museum in Leavesden.
And now we will go to those places that really exist and which inspired the film crew to create an unforgettable image of Hogwarts and its environs.
In fact, there are a lot of such places in the UK where various scenes that took place in the magic school were filmed.
Let's imagine ourselves for a moment as students of Hogwarts School and continue our journey in the footsteps of our favorite heroes.
Traveling on the Hogwarts Express
Let's use one of vehicles, which was very often used by students of the magic school. This is the Hogwarts Express, which followed the route London - Hogsmeade.
To film the Hogwarts Express scenes in the Harry Potter films, they used Britain's most scenic railway line, the West Highland Line, a real train route and a very real London steam locomotive.
This route was chosen when choosing a location for filming the Harry Potter films due to the extraordinary beauty of the area and the famous 21-arch viaduct in the Glenfinnan Viaduk.
It was over this bridge, built at the beginning of the 20th century, that the magical train rushed to Hogwarts at full speed, throwing out clouds of smoke.
At one time, the construction of this bridge caused a lot of controversy about its feasibility. Serious concerns were even expressed that this huge viaduct would not be able to blend organically into the surrounding natural landscape, which could harm the beauty of the surrounding areas.
Fortunately, the fears were not justified. And today, when visiting these places, you can appreciate the beauty of the viaduct by riding along it in one of the ancient carriages, driven by the same old steam locomotive that played the role of the Hogwarts Express during the filming of the film, and in reality it is called the Jacobite Steam Train.
And now from mid-May to the end of October the magical steam locomotive runs on the route Fort William - Mallaig. Therefore, if you dream of riding this train in the north of Scotland, you need to take care of tickets in advance. You can book your ticket on the website: https://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/.
Route schedule for 2019:
In the morning (departure at 10:15):
- From April 22 to October 25 – Monday to Friday
- From May 4 to September 29 – on Saturdays and Sundays
Afternoon (departure at 14:30):
- From May 13 to September 13 – Monday to Friday
- From June 15 to September 1 – on Saturdays and Sundays
Ticket prices for 2019:
- Adult (standard / 1st class) – £37.50 / £59.95
- Children (up to 16 years old) (standard / 1st grade) – £20.75 / £32.90
This train features fully restored 1956 pastures.
And in the magical carriage D, the atmosphere of the Hogwarts Express is completely reproduced - all the luggage racks are completely filled with suitcases, and a trolley with various sweets rides around the carriage.
The low speed that the locomotive develops allows you to admire beautiful landscape outside the window: numerous lakes, very beautiful mountains, medieval castles, waterfalls and see the places where the Harry Potter film was filmed.
The locomotive makes stops along the way: in the village of Arisaig you can take a boat ride to the very western coast of Scotland, and at Glenfinnan station you can visit an interesting railway museum.
Hogsmeade Station
When traveling on the Hogwarts Express, you can't help but mention Hogsmeade.
According to the film, this is the nearest train station to Hogwarts and a village inhabited only by wizards. And the Hogwarts Express train brings students here to the station. Harry Potter and his friends often went to this magical village, where the Three Broomsticks pub, the Boar's Head, the Sweet Kingdom confectionery, and the Shrieking Shack are located.
Filming location railway station in Hogsmeade took place in the picturesque village of Goathland with a population of just 500 people in North Yorkshire at the local station (Goathland Station, North Yorkshire).
And now we are already at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Hogwarts
To do this we need to go to ancient castle Enik (Alnwick Castle) and surrounding areas. The 11th-century castle is located on the border of England and Scotland. The history of its existence is rich interesting events and goes back more than one century.
The mysterious and gloomy castle in which the magical school of Hogwarts is located, with its outlines, is very reminiscent of Enik Castle, which served as the main setting for the filming of the Harry Potter films.
The medieval gloom of the castle and its architecture, interiors and courtyards have previously attracted the attention of many directors who shot historical films. He was not spared during the filming of the Harry Potter films.
It was here that Harry flew on a broom over the perfectly manicured lawns around the castle, participating in Quidditch competitions, and in the castle courtyard the film's characters learned to control naughty brooms.
The castle is residential, but some of its rooms are open to the public. Therefore, you should not be surprised if you see numerous tourists jumping on brooms on the lawn near the castle, who still want to master the art of magic.
You, like Harry, can try to learn how to fly on a broomstick (though not a magical one, just an ordinary one) while visiting the castle.
In addition to visiting places associated with Harry Potter and Hogwarts School, you can go to interesting excursion to the Museum of Antiquity, founded in the first half of the 19th century.
After visiting the castle, getting acquainted with its history and admiring the beauty of these places, we go to the oldest university city in England - Oxford, which is located approximately 90 kilometers from London.
You can get to Oxford either by train (departing every half hour), by bus, which also departs very frequently from several places in London, or by taxi.
Oxford University
Many scenes from the life of Hogwarts school were filmed in this famous educational institution.
Famous Great Hall Hogwarts, where the most solemn and important points in the life of a school for wizards, was filmed in the dining hall of the oldest and most prestigious college at Oxford University, Christ Church.
Some scenes from the films were shot on the stairs and in the courtyard of this college.
Interest in this place is caused not only by the fact that the Harry Potter films were filmed on the territory of this college, but also by the uniqueness of Oxford University.
Its territory with the most beautiful college buildings, gothic architecture, stained glass windows and medieval patterns on the interior walls, numerous museums and the unique Bodleian Library are worthy of attention in themselves.
And the next episode from the Harry films is the filming of scenes in the Hogwarts library.
Hogwarts Library
As you probably already guessed, this took place in the largest library in Oxford - the Bodleian Library, which houses more than eleven million copies of books, including priceless treasures and many medieval manuscripts.
The library building and its luxurious interiors amaze visitors with their splendor.
Corridors of Hogwarts - School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
After visiting Oxford, it would be nice to stop by the town of Gloucester (just 2 hours from London) and visit beautiful cathedral England - Gloucester Cathedral.
Its magnificent interiors, luxurious corridors and covered galleries will surely remind you of the various scenes from the Harry Potter films that happened to him and his friends in the corridors of Hogwarts.
The ancient Norman Cathedral was transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Witchcraft during the filming of the film. Secret door of Gryffindor house, Harry's bedroom, scenes with ghosts and a troll, talking drawings on the wall, classes at Hogwarts School - all this was filmed within the walls of the magnificent Cathedral.
The places where the filming took place are incredibly beautiful; here you can spend hours just walking and enjoying nature and the surroundings. Gloucester Cathedral - amazingly beautiful architectural structure, which can be admired and admired.
And time spent in the Cathedral in the filming locations of the Harry Potter films will further enhance the impression of the events that were told in the books and films.
Professor McGonagall's office
The office of the strict but fair Dean and Transfiguration Professor McGonagall was filmed at Durham's Cathedral of Christ, Mary and St. Cuthbert (Durham Cathedral), which is located near the border with Scotland.
The magnificent 11th-century cathedral on the top of a cliff with powerful walls soaring high is striking in its beauty and size.
Interesting architecture, windows decorated with stained glass, amazing nature around, which you can admire by climbing the cathedral tower - all this makes this place one of the most visited in England.
Opposite the cathedral is the castle of the same name (Durham Castle), which further enhances the impression of visiting these places.
Hagrid's Hut
If you find yourself near Scotland, you can’t help but look into the picturesque Glencoe Valley, which is located in the southwest of the Highlands. This place is often called the most exciting and beautiful place Scotland.
And we also ended up here for a reason. It was here that scenes from the Harry Potter films featuring one of the main characters, Hagrid, were partially filmed.
For the filming of the film, the hut of Rubeus Hagrid, who taught Care of Magical Creatures at the school, was the keeper of the keys and the forester, was built in the Glencoe Valley.
Unfortunately, the hut is not there now, but here you can have a great rest and admire the beauty of these places.
Returning to London, you can still visit several places associated with the filming of films about our hero.
Flitwick's office
Filming of the office of Professor Flitwick, head of the Ravenclaw faculty from the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, took place in one of the classrooms of the oldest public school for boys.
Harrow School is located a few miles from London and is famous for the fact that many who later became famous cultural, scientific and political figures studied within its walls. Among them is Winston Churchill.
Forbidden Forest
A mysterious place where all sorts of things live unusual creatures: huge spiders, unicorns, thestrals, centaurs. In this gloomy and scary forest It was forbidden for students to go to Hogwarts school without being accompanied by adult wizards.
Filming for this location took place in Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately 20 miles from London. The territory of the Park is often used for filming. And it was no coincidence that the choice fell on this place when filming a series of films about Harry Potter. In the Black Park even in sunny days There is always twilight.
Privet Alley
On this street, at number 4, in the family of his aunt (Harry Potter's only relatives), we first met Harry. Here he lived from the moment when he, a small child, was brought to this house by Hagrid, until his flight to Hogwarts school for 9 whole years, that is, until he learned about his magical abilities.
In reality, this ancient street is located in the town of Little Whinging in Berkshire and is called Picket Post Close.
Godric's Hollow
And we will end our journey by visiting the place where the story of the boy who lived began.
This is a small settlement in which they lived as ordinary people, and magicians: Harry Potter’s parents and himself until the moment when, at the request of Albus Dumbledore, Hagrid took him from the destroyed parental home to his aunt’s house.
To do this, we will go to Godric's Hollow in Lacock Abbey in the vicinity of the city of Bath, Wiltshire, which is approximately 2 hours from London.
This is one of the oldest and most picturesque places in England. Ancient stone houses, narrow streets, and the history of the 13th century abbey make spending time in these places fascinating and educational.
This is where we will end our tour today. I hope you enjoyed our journey and learned something new.
And in the following articles we will visit, which was opened in 2012 at the Warner Bros. film studio, and. But we'll talk about this next time.
Difficulty level: Easy
What you will need:
- Books about Harry Potter
- Harry Potter films
- Rich imagination
- Visa and money for travel to England
- Organizational skills
- Harry Games
1 step
Step 2
The second option is to watch films about Harry. Watch them whenever you have them free time, and soon you will know every corner of this castle.
Step 3
Place to hit your head
Finally, you can go to London, find the desired station there, and with some encouraging cry run into the wall between tracks 9 and 10. I don’t promise Hogwarts, but after several attempts, you will be taken to another castle, where you will be introduced to a couple of Napoleons, Caesar, and many other interesting people.
Step 4
In addition, until all the films about Harry are shot, you can also try to audition for some role in London. last movie, and during filming, given the scale of the scenery, you will really feel like you are in Hogwarts, however, in order to stay there long enough, you will have to stake out at least a supporting role.
Step 5
Well last option- build the scenery of one auditorium at home, or gather the same people all over the country who want to go to Hogwarts, and rebuild an entire school :) You will attend it in black tunics with wooden chopsticks, brooms and rats (it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get a live owl). However, this event is expensive, it is easier to get everyone together once a year on some field and organize a championship in ground Quidditch. Fans of World of WarCraft, for example, have been indulging in such gatherings for a long time, dressing up as trolls and orcs, staging entire battles.
Step 6
Oh yes, I almost forgot, you can buy a series of games about Harry, so carefully developed and released by everyone’s favorite EA Games. There you too will be able to immerse yourself for some time in the world of a magic school, and literally get into the shoes of the main characters...
- Books are, of course, wonderful, but we shouldn’t forget about the real world.
- If the thought of a Potter still haunts you, indicate your nationality as “magician” in the upcoming population census. At the last census, for example, there were a lot of hobbits, elves and orcs - perhaps they dreamed of getting to Middle-earth :)
- Hurry! Filming of the last part is in full swing! There is very little time left to implement option 4!!!
. Hogwarts Castle exists
Where would the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry be, where JK Rowling's characters Harry Potter and his friends studied, if not in ancient castle with towers, arches, stained glass windows - and most importantly, shrouded in mystery? Therefore, in order to make a film about Harry Potter, filmmakers had to look for a suitable castle - one that would have everything that JK Rowling wrote about.
Where is the real Hogwarts Castle?
Such a castle was found - it is Alnwick, in the English county of Northumberland, on the border with Scotland. Alnwick is the second largest residential castle in Great Britain. The first, of course, is Windsor, which belongs to the royal family. The earliest mention of the castle dates back to 1096, when the standard-bearer of William the Conqueror erected a wooden fortress on the site where the castle is located, which was supposed to protect the northern borders of England from Scots raids.
Since 1309, Alnwick Castle has been owned by the Duke of Percy family, one of the most powerful English surnames. WITH mid-17th century V. The Percys stopped living in the family estate and it fell into disrepair. In 1766, Hugh Smithson Percy was granted the title of 1st Duke of Northumberland. He began to rebuild Alnwick. Not only were the walls updated in the castle, but the furnishings were also changed. Since then, it has been famous for the luxury of its interiors. His chambers are decorated with paintings by Titian and Canaletto and furniture in the Italian Renaissance style.
Real Hogwarts Castle - Alnwick
The real Hogwarts Castle is called Alnwick. It still exists!
Alnwick Castle has been rebuilt and renovated more than once, but most of the ancient buildings of the castle have survived to this day. Alnwick has many internal buildings, which are separated by small courtyards. The outer fortress wall of the castle is decorated with towers and turrets. The Prudhoe Tower houses a library: it contains more than 16 thousand volumes of books. After the Second World War, Alnwick's owners gave up part of its premises educational institutions. The medieval setting and excellent condition of the family estate of the English dukes attract filmmakers: dozens of films were filmed here famous paintings, including the likes of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Ivanhoe and Elizabeth. But Alnwick caused a real stir among tourists after the release of the Harry Potter films.
- Many scenes in the Harry Potter films were filmed at Alnwick Castle. Filming took place both near the castle - a game of Quidditch with flying on a broom was filmed in its vicinity - and inside it. But the scenes at the School of Magic were also filmed in Oxford. The library of Hogwarts School in the film is represented by the Bodleian Library of this prestigious university, and the canteen of young wizards by the canteen of Christ Church College.
- Only wizards can get to Hogwarts from platform 9 and three quarters... The rest will have to be content with regular transport to get to Alnwick Castle. In the vicinity of the castle, archery competitions and festivals are held, the participants of which perform in medieval costumes. Near the fortress there is a magnificent Alnwick Garden park, where 15 thousand species of plants grow.
Who among us has not watched and admired the film about the boy wizard Harry Potter and his adventures? The film is full of many events, interesting characters and, of course, magic. Majority storylines touch the magic castle - School of learning magical art Hogwarts. 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, then where is Hogwarts located? 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. So that the palace can completely transport the viewer to magical world, it had to be decorated, appropriate furniture installed, something painted and repaired.
Alnwick Castle is a vibrant embodiment of bygone eras and is still part of cultural heritage UK. 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. There are beautiful and luxurious interiors all around, which are decorated with works of art and antique furniture.
The external decoration of Alnwick Castle consists 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.
Excellent interiors and appearance The castle attracts filmmakers who have already shot films here such as “Robin Hood”, “Elizabeth”, and all the Harry Potter series.
The real castle, in the courtyard of which they flew on broomsticks, played Quidditch, and threw snowballs - this is the ancient Alnwick Castle, located in a certain county of England - Northumberland, in the north-east of the country, on the very border with Scotland. Alnwick (or Alnwick) is the second largest ancient castle in England. Address: Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1NQ, UK.
To understand how old it is, you need to turn to historical memories dating back to 1096. Historical documents also contain information that later its construction was carried out by the standard bearer of William the Conqueror - Duke of Normandy and subsequently - King of England, who lived in 11-12 century AD
Then Alnwick Castle came into the possession of Duke Percy, who received the title of first Earl of Northumberland, and from the mid-seventeenth century it was abandoned by its owners and fell into disrepair. Only at the end of the 18th century, after several generations, the heir (a son on the female side of the Percy family) - the next Duke of Northumberland - brought it back to life, furnishing Alnwick with luxurious furniture and decorating it with priceless paintings by Titian and Canaletto (magnificent Italian artists Renaissance).
How to get to the real Hogwarts castle
To see the Hogwarts school of wizards, or rather, its current prototype - Alnwick Castle, you need to fly to Newcastle Airport. It is 45 minutes' drive from Alnwick. Local airlines fly to Newcastle Airport from Heathrow Airport (London) more than ten times a day.
Magic lessons at Hogwarts
The school and magic lessons at Hogwarts, which were filmed in the Potteries, are worth talking about in particular. Remember those nasty plants - mandrakes, which young wizards pulled out of flower pots during magic lessons? These shots were filmed within the walls of Oxford (Oxfordshire), a world-famous, respected university, about which there are legends (Albert Einstein himself studied within its walls)!
Address: University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK.
According to statistics, only (no more than) 12% of applicants who apply to this university in advance are admitted to Oxford University. But not only the highest ratings Oxford University is famous. The creators of the Harry Potter films were primarily impressed by the majestic architecture of the buildings that housed the university, quaint chapels, huge formal halls and an ancient library. Once here, you will feel like, if not the caretaker of a school of wizards, then certainly one of its students!
How to get to classes at Hogwarts School of Magic
It's pretty simple. You can get to Oxford (Hogwarts) by regular bus from London train station - Victoria Coach Station. By the way, the bus station in the capital of England, from which these buses depart, is just opposite the railway station, you just need to cross the street. Departure schedule is every 20-30 minutes, from early morning until late at night.
Buy tickets for a tour where the Harry Potter film was filmed
Good advice: to save money when traveling around England, buy a round-trip ticket. Travel time is approximately 1.5 hours. To get off in Oxford to see Hogwarts School of Magic, you need to get off in the city center, at the Gloucester Green Coach Station (or one or two bus stops earlier - this way you will immediately get acquainted with the historical part of the city). Another option for getting there: by train from London Paddington Station (travel time is approximately 1 hour), trains depart every 30 minutes. To see and feel the atmosphere of the Hogwarts school of magic, you need to get into the university buildings in the center of Oxford; tourists are admitted here for free.
It is also in Oxford, or rather, the role of the Hogwarts library was played by the Bodleian Library of the prestigious Oxford University, founded in 1598. This is not just a library, it is a huge collection of books (more than 6 million), which competes for the right to be called the oldest library in Europe (and you know who? With the library of the Vatican itself!). The Bodleian Library also competes with the British State Library for the title of England's largest book collection.
Unfortunately, children under 11 years old are not allowed to enter the library building, but you should definitely come here in search of places where important events took place in the magical world!
Address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BG, UK, Tel: +44 1865 277162.
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 - 22:00, Saturday 10:00 - 16:00, Sunday 11:00 - 17:00
Hogwarts Library: pictured - Bodleian Library, where Harry Potter was filmed
Do you remember the reading room from the film, in which the muggle child, the very smart and beautiful Hermione Granger, spent a lot of her free time studying the mysteries hidden in magical books? This is precisely the reading room of the Bodleian Library - the round Radcliffe building topped with an intricate dome.
Hogwarts dining room
Yes, yes, “talking” messages from Ron Weasley’s mother flew here, it was here that wise owls brought flying brooms for Quidditch, and here three young wizards sat for a long time, developing another brilliant plan to fight evil. And she is located... where would you think? In the famous Oxford college called Christ Church College.
In fact, Christ Church College is considered one of the largest aristocratic colleges at Oxford University. And it was founded a very long time ago - back in 1525 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Address: St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP, UK, tel. +44 1865 276150. For visitors planning a trip to England and wanting to get to the Hogwarts dining room (and not only), opening hours: Monday - Saturday from 9:00 to 16:30, Sunday from 13:00 to 16:30.
The famous canteen is accessible these days without any guide or tour guide. Organize your own, individual tours and enjoy what you see. Another interesting detail: within the walls of this college you can meet Alice from Through the Looking Glass, and even Cheshire cat, because it was in the penates of Christ Church College that their creator lived (studied) for some time - famous writer Lewis Carroll.
Hogwarts dining room: pictured is Christ Church College, where Harry Potter was filmed
House where Harry Potter was born
Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the author of magical novels about Hogwarts, spent a long time looking for the place on the map of England where such a mysterious book hero like Harry Potter. Her country Fantasia found such a point in the vicinity of London and gave it an equally mysterious name - Godric's Hollow. famous cemetery Godric's Hollow, as the book tells, was where Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, were buried. According to the book, after the death of Harry's parents, the house of the Potter family was preserved by the great magicians as a kind of memorial, but ordinary people - Muggles - cannot see it.
In fact, the estate where scenes about the life of little Harry and his parents were filmed and where you know who came exists in real life. This De Vere House in the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, in eastern England. According to the script, the Dumbledore family and Bathilda Bagshot once lived here. In the same house, according to Rowling, one of the founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor, was once born.
A 14th-century cottage with three bedrooms and an outbuilding is valued at £950,000 on the property market. De Vere House is photographed very often. According to statistics, photographs are taken most often only of the house at No. 10 Downing Street (where you know who lives).
Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets
It is located on the premises of Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, England. The most terrible episodes of the series were also filmed here, in Lacock (remember, Harry left Professor Lockhart’s office, where he was serving his sentence, and heard the Basilisk?), some episodes from the film “Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince", night scenes of the film with the participation of Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played the role of Harry Potter.
Continuation of the journey
Finish such a long list mysterious places, where “Harry Potter” was filmed, unfortunately we didn’t succeed... It’s too long, it obviously doesn’t fit on one page...
Mysterious routes associated with the name of the little wizard and the history of Hogwarts Castle should be continued, just like the Potter film saga. Since we did not find the railway platform at number 9 and three quarters, we invite the reader to find it on their own, along the road to the magical world, which we laid on the next page - “through the places of Harry Potter”.
But for some reason it seems to us that this is St. Pancras station in London, where Harry, Ron and Hermione finally met in good health as a family. It was here that they again escorted their heirs to Hogwarts.
If you have planned a trip to England or London, be sure to include a visit to the Warner Brothers film studio in your program. On holidays and even weekdays real miracles happen here: dragons flock from Romania, new cafes open in Crooked Lane, Harry Potter picks up his magic wand again...