T is for the Thames

The A-Z Tour of Harry Potter Film Locations once again returns to London (what can I say, it's a big city).  This time we are taking a trip down the Thames.

This map shows the various bridges and their locations
to some of London's landmarks.

The River Thames flows from the Thames Head in Gloucestershire, through Oxford,  Windsor and London to the Thames Estuary in Southend-On-Sea, emptying into the North Sea.  A total length of 380km, it is the longest river in England, and the second longest in the United Kingdom.  The twisting section that flows through London is iconic, featuring regularly in souvenirs, television, and company logos.

The London section of the Thames and its bridges appear at various stages of the Potter film franchise.  Scene-setting shots in The Philosopher’s Stone and The Half Blood Prince feature the Thames.  The Order fly under and around various bridges as they head from Privett Drive to Grimmauld Place in The Order of the Phoenix. Mind you, the Order take a crazy route, flying east and then west along the river at different stages.

  However a couple of the Thames bridges get more than just a fleeting glance:

When the Millennium Bridge first opened, it was nicknamed the Wobbley Bridge, after the pedestrians felt is swaying as they walked over it.  It closed two days after it first opened, and was closed for two years as modifications were made to strengthen the bridge and entirely remove the wobble.  As a small nod to the people of London, the Millennium Bridge is wobbled, twisted and destroyed by Death Eaters at the start of The Half-Blood Prince.

The Knight Bus squeezes between two red London buses as it crosses Lambeth Bridge – although in actual life the bridge only has one lane in each direction, meaning the scene couldn’t actually happen.  What – Hollwood doesn’t match real life?!

Don't forget - because I'm crazy I'm busily cross stitching two pieces for the A-Z Challenge at Fangirl Stitches.

Happy travels,

Ros