First stop on the A to Z Tour of Harry Potter Film Locations is Alnwick Castle.
I apologise now - this will be a photo-heavy post.
Located in Northumberland, Alnwick
Castle is impressive from the get-go. Amazing
gardens, a tree-house restaurant, and a stunning castle and keep. It is
still the home of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, and so is only open to
visitors for part of the year. However, when it is open to visitors, you
are actually able to tour sections of the family home, including a fairly impressive
library. Alnwick Castle has featured in many television shows and movies,
including the 2014 Christmas Special of Downton Abbey, and (my whole
reason for visiting) the first two Harry Potter films.
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| Hagrid and Harry perform magic tricks |
Alnwick Castle have really embraced their Harry Potter link, with actors dressed
as the characters performing at different times of the day, a film-themed tour,
and flying lessons. I did my own thing (the tour times didn't line up
with when I was there), and found the following locations:
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| Alnwick Castle - the approach and outer walls |
Alnwick Castle became the inspiration for Hogwarts, forming the original
grounds and outer walls, and the base from which CGI walls extended. The
approach to the Castle is immediately recognisable, as it appears in several
scene-setting shots in the first two films. It was also made into part of
the Hogwarts model for fly-over shots.
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| Alnwick Castle - the outer Bailey |
The Outer Bailey of the Castle appears in scenes set in the Hogwarts
grounds. In particular, the Flying Lesson and Harry's Quidditch practice
with Oliver Wood were set in the Outer Bailey. When you visit Alnwick
Castle you can attend a flying lesson on the exact spot where Harry first
learnt to fly.
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| Alnwick Castle - the Keep |
Other areas of Alnwick Castle which appear in the Harry Potter films
include the Keep, and the Inner Bailey.
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| Alnwick Castle - the inner Bailey |
Tomorrow we're heading to the
opposite end of England, almost as far away from Alnwick as I'll get during
this challenge.
Happy travels,
Ros
I'm also completing the A-Z Blog Challenge over at Fangirl Stitches, where I'm stitching two of the alphabets from my Etsy Store. A is for Abra (Pokemon) and Anna Milton (Supernatural)
