R is for Virgina Water, home of the Roman Ruins

The A-Z Tour of the Harry Potter Filming Locations stops off at the Roman Ruins at Virginia Water Lake.

Virginia Water Lake is located in Great Windsor Park in Surrey, south west of London. It was created in the 18th century and is believed to have been named after Queen Elizabeth I, the virgin queen.  Located on the banks of the lake are the Leptis Magna ruins - a folly that was built to look like a genuine Roman relic with stones being shipped to the sight from a Roman town near Tripoli

I admit - the letter for this post is a little bit of a cheat.  The ruins, although they are pretty impressive, do not appear in any of the Potter films. Instead it is Virginia Water Lake itself that we're here to visit, as it was used for many of the close-up lakeside scenes.

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron and Hermione stand on the bank of the lake while Hagrid tells them about Buckbeak’s execusion (although back shots of Hagrid looking out over the lake are in Scotland!), and later Harry fights off Dementors here (although again, long shots were filmed in Scotland).  

In The Goblet of Fire Harry reads on the bank of the river while Neville fishes, Hermione conveys messages between Harry and Ron, and Harry chats with Barty Crouch Snr.  

Virginia Water Lake was the location for the start of the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, with a purpose built jetty… once again leading into (and looking out over) Scottish lakes.  The magic of cinema!  A cascading waterfall can be spotted in behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes from the films.  

Pic 1 - the bank and jetty they are standing on is at Virginia Water, the background is in Scotland

Unused scenes from The Order of the Phoenix, including a scene with McGonagall sitting in a wheelchair reading a newspaper, were also filmed here.

There is some discussion on line and in books about whether Forbidden Forest scenes from The Prisoner of Azkaban, including Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class were filmed at Virginia Water or at Black Park (from the "F" post).  Possibly if I'd visited either location in spring I'd have been able to work it out, but the plants on film didn't match the plants at either location while I was there.  If anyone from the production company/film crew would like to confirm one way or the other I'd appreciate it.

It has been said though (by the infamous "they") that the trees at Virginia Water, with their large, exposed knobbly roots, were the inspiration for the studio sets used in several of the other films.

The cross stitching part of the A-Z Challenge continues at Fangirl Stitches, where R is for Ruby and Rhydon.

Happy travels

Ros

Q is for Quidditch Locations

 Q on the A-Z Tour of Harry Potter Filming Locations is for the Quidditch sites.

Quidditch featured in five of the eight Potter films.  Hogwarts Quidditch stadium was clearly enchanted as it tended to move around Scotland a bit, sometimes even in the middle of a match!

Before we continue, we need a little Scottish-to-English translation: "ben" means "mountain"; "glen" means "valley"; "loch" means "lake".

Glen Nevis & Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis, north of Fort William in Scotland, is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, standing 1346 metres above sea level.  It is a popular location for bush walkers, hikers, mountain climbers, etc.  Ben Nevis is one of the mountains surrounding Glen Nevis.

Ben/Glen Nevis featured as the background to the Hogwarts Quidditch Stadium in four of the Potter films - The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Goblet of Fire, and The Half-Blood Prince.

Steall Falls, Glen Nevis

to avoid confusion - these are what Aussies call "thongs"
Image: http://bpfaus.com/documents/aussie-thongs.jpg

At the northern end of Glen Nevis is a walk leading up to Steall Falls, the second highest waterfall in Scotland.  There is a rather stern sign at the begining of the walk warning hikers to wear proper shoes and be wary of slippery ground as it can become quite wet and muddy in sections. That being said, when I was there I saw people completing the walk in thongs and with small dogs so each to their own.

The Steall Falls have appeared behind the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium in two films.  For the first task of the Triwizard Tournament in The Goblet of Fire, the stadium is located on a ridge of Glen Nevis, with Steall Falls visible in the background. The falls can also be seen behind Ron during his trial for Gryffindor Keeper in The Half-Blood Prince.

Loch Shiel
I mentioned Loch Shiel briefly in the J post, and it will come up again in the S post.  Loch Shiel appears behind the stadium in The Chamber of Secrets - one of those times when the stadium moved mid-match.

Beachy Head was the location of the Quidditch World Cup, but I went into all of that back in the B post, which you can find here if you want to catch up.

I'm cross stitching two alphabets for the A-Z challenge as well - you can see my progress on my other blog - Q is for Abadian (Supernatural) and Quilava (Pokemon)

Happy travels

Ros

P is for Scotland Place

The A-Z Tour of Harry Potter Filming Locations heads back into London today.  Our "P" stop (*snort* *giggle*) is at Scotland Place, a street in central London - it's near Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, and Westminster Abbey.

The visitor’s entrance to the Ministry of Magic was filmed at the corner of Great Scotland Yard and Scotland Place.  The telephone box seen in The Order of the Phoenix was built for the film, as was the bridge next to it.  These were built over the wooden door in my photo. But apart from that, it’s one of the few locations that was used basically “as is” and is instantly recognisable.

The corner appeared again in The Deathly Hallows, part 1 when Harry, Ron and Hermione sneak into the Ministry of Magic.  They hide behind the roller door (redesigned to look like the missing wooden door I mentioned earlier) before stunning Ministry employees and stealing their identity. 

I love the fact that the Ministry of Magic is located beneath other official office buildings – the Ministry of Defence, Old War Office Building, Department for Climate Change, and Department of Health are all located on Whitehall/Parliament Street, which Great Scotland Yard leads off of.  Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s office/home) leads off of Whitehall and the Parliament building is at the end of the road.

I also love the fact that Harry and Arthur get the tube to Westminster Station (more on that when we get to U), before walking down to Great Scotland Yard and Scotland Place – Westminster Station is one of the closest to this area.  They do walk in from the wrong direction, but that’s beside the point.

Happy travels,

Ros

I'm also cross stitching the A-Z Challenge.  You can see my P progress at Fangirl Stitches where I'm working on a Pokemon and Supernatural alphabet.

O is for Oxford

The A-Z Tour of Harry Potter Filming Locations today takes us to what is probably the most well-known location used in filming - the city of Oxford.

Oxford, located in the south-east region of England, is most well-known as being home to the University of Oxford, the oldest University in the English-speaking world.  The University is first mentioned in records in the 12th century.  Oxford is a popular filming location, having featured in numerous movies and television shows, including X-Men: First Class, Inspector Morse, Lewis, and Tomorrow Never Dies.

Again this is going to be a bit long and photo-heavy - Oxford featured quite significantly in 3 of the Potter films.

Christ Church College
Christ Church is a "unique joint foundation of a college of the University of Oxford and the Cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford."  Parts of the college are open at set times of the day to visitors, including the Cathedral, dining hall, and parts of the grounds.  Christ Church has produced 13 British Prime Ministers, which is more than any other Oxbridge (Oxford-Cambridge) college.  Christ Church was the first location I visited where there was a crowd of people clearly visiting because of the Potter link.  It was here too that I found the book "Potter Hunting in England" which made future Potter trips a lot easier.

The stone staircase outside the Dinning Hall of Christ Church appeared in the first two films as the entry to Hogwarts.  Professor McGonagall greats the first year students as they arrive at Hogwarts for the first time in The Philosopher’s Stone.  Harry later finds Ron and Hermione waiting for him there after leaving the hospital wing.  During The Chamber of Secrets Ron and Harry are caught arriving late by Filch.  Harry also observes a conversation between Dumbledore and a young Tom Riddle during the diary flashback.

The Great Hall at Hogwarts was based on the design of the dining hall at Christ Church, although the studio set was 1 ½ times the size.  It was the first set built, and the only set to appear in all 8 films. 

New College

Despite its name, New College is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, having been founded in 1379.  Its full name is The Warden and Scholars of St Mary's College of Winchester in Oxford, however it soon became known as New College to distinguish it from the other, older college of St Mary's.

The grounds of New College featured in The Goblet of Fire as the location where Mad-Eye Moody disciplines Malfoy by turning him into a ferret.  This is also where Harry tells Cedric about the dragons, and later calls Ron a “right foul git”.  Unfortunately due to time constraints and parts of the College being closed, I was unable to locate the exact tree and cloisters used in these scenes.  I’ll just have to go back one day.

Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Library, attached to the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second largest in Britain (the first being the British Library). Duke Humfrey’s Library is the oldest reading room at the Bodleian.  It is named after Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester who, when he died, donated his collection of manuscripts to the Library.  Duke Humphrey's Library is stunning and just what I think a library should look like.  Photography is banned, so I had to make do with a postcard.

Duke Humfrey's Library was used for the Hogwarts Library during the first two films, featuring when Hermione researches both the Philosopher’s Stone and the Polyjuice Potion; and when Harry sneaks into the restricted section under the Invisibility cloak.  Subsequent films were shot on a similar, albeit wider, studio set. 

Divinity School, Bodleian Library

Physically attached to the Bodleian Library, the Divinity School is the oldest purpose-built building attached to Oxford University.  It was originally designed for use as a lecture and examination hall.

The Divinty School was used as the Hogwarts Hospital during the first two films, seen when Harry wakes from fighting Voldermort in The Philosopher’s Stone, and again when the bones in his arm are regrown in The Chamber of Secrets.  Hospital scenes in subsequent films used a studio set based on the design of this room.  The Divinity School reappeared in The Goblet of Fire as the room where McGonagall teaches the Gryffindors to dance, including a very embarrassed Ron.

That concludes our tour of Oxford. 

For something different, over at Fangirl Stitches, I am working on two alphabet cross stitch patterns for the A-Z Challenge - Pokémon and Supernatural.

See you tomorrow

Ros

N is for North Yorkshire

The A-Z Tour of Harry Potter locations heads to North Yorkshire.

Goathland Railway Station

The village of Goathland is located in North Yorkshire.  In 2011, it had a population of 438 - so not a very big place!  It is most famous for being the village where the television series Heartbeat was filmed - and tourist income from fans of the show provides most of the village's revenue.

 Goathland railway station was transformed into Hogsmeade Station for The Philosopher’s Stone.  The first ever scene of the Potter series was filmed here – the scene where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid say good bye to each other.  If you look closely, you can see that Harry has green eyes and Hermione has bucked teeth, just like it says in the book.   However Dan Radcliffe reacted badly to the contacts and Emma Watson had difficulty speaking around the false teeth so the director decided to get rid of both teeth and contacts for the rest of the film (and series).

After filming this scene, the crew turned the Hogwarts Express around and filmed it pulling into the station for the initial arrival, when Ron first meets Hagrid.  While I was visiting Goathland Railway Station, a stem train pulled into the station… which made for some great photos!

Parked on the main street in Goathland is a blue Ford Anglia, one of teh police cars used in Heartbeat.  It also happens to be the same make of car which Harry and Ron flew to Hogwarts in The Chamber of Secrets.

Malham Cove, North Yorkshire
Malham Cove is a limestone formation located near the village of Malham (funnily enough).  The cove itself was formed by an ancient waterfall.  At the top of the Cove is a large limestone platform, where cracks have created a unique feature.

After Ron leaves them in The Deathly Hallows, Harry and Hermione camp at the top of Malham Cove.  It is here they first discuss the sign of the Deathly Hallows, and make plans to visit Godrick’s Hollow.  The scenes in the film relied on helicopter footage for the back plates, with the actors being filmed on a studio set.  I went one better than the cast, and climbed to the top of the pavement – the view was amazing.

At Fangirl Stitches I am cross stitching two alphabets for the challenge - a Pokemon themed one and a Supernatural themed one.  Please stop by and check them out.

Happy travels

Ros

M is for the Cliffs of Moher

The A to Z of Harry Potter Film Locations today takes us out of the UK and over to Ireland to visit The Cliffs of Moher.

The Cliffs of Moher are located in County Clare, on the western side of Ireland.  They are rather imposing, stretching for 8 km along the coast and reaching 214m at the highest point.  If the weather is nice, you can go for a walk along the coast line to take it all in.  If the weather is misirable (like the day I visited), then you can hang out in the coffee shop/restaurant in the visitors centre.  (Or go for a walk in the rain and wind if that's your thing!).

The cliffs, located on the western coast of Ireland, were visited by Dumbledore and Harry during the their hunt for the horcruxes in The Half-Blood Prince.

These impressive cliffs also featured in The Princess Bride as the Cliffs of Insanity, giving them even more fandom movie cred.

Over at Fangirl Stitches I'm still working my way through the two cross stitch alphabets - Pokemon and Supernatural.

Happy travels

Ros

L is for the Leaky Cauldron

Today on the A to Z Tour of Harry Potter Filming Locations, we're visiting the three places used for the Leaky Cauldron, the all important tavern that leads you into Diagon Alley.

Leadenhall Market

Located in the historic centre of London, the covered Leadenhall Market dates back to the 14th century. Leadenhall Market was one of the first Potter locations I found on my own, after the guided walking tour.  The market is in a beautiful building, with high angled ceilings and gorgeous window trims - the Grade II listed building was designed in 1881.  The shops themselves are fascinating – old pen shops, book shopsand food markets, and other such things.  It’s only open during the week (it’s in a business district) so I only ever got the chance to window shop, which was probably a good thing.

Harry and Hagrid are seen walking through Leadenhall Markets on their way to the Leaky Cauldron in The Philosopher’s Stone. 

The actual entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was the Glass House in Bull’s Passage.  At the time of filming it was an abandoned building; now it’s an optometrist’s office.  

Borough Markets

According to their website, Borough Market is London's most renowned food market.  It is located opposite London Bridge Stateion, with the tracks running right overhead.

Chez Michele, 7 Stoney Street, on the southeast edge of Borough Street Markets, stood in for the Leaky Cauldron in The Prisoner of Azkaban.  The Knight Bus, after tearing through the streets of London, drops Harry out the front.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the reason the Leaky Cauldron changed locations was because the director couldn’t get a bus through Leadenhall Market!

The roof of Borough Market itself can be seen out of the window in Harry's room during his stay at the Leaky Cauldron, as can the train to London Bridge and the tower of Southwark Cathedral. 

Great Newport Street
Adjacent to Charing Cross Road in the West End, Great Newport Street, specifically the alleyway next to Number 12, was used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in The Half-Blood Prince. It’s a random location, with nothing much to recommend it, but if you’re on Charing Cross Road anyway (and there’s a good chance you will be) you may as well stop and go “huh”. 

At the beginning of the film, Death Eaters fly along Great Newport Street, down the alleyway, and burst through a wall into Diagon Alley in order to kidnap Olivander.  

Happy travels

Ros

The A-Z cross stitch marathon continues at Fangirl Stitches where I am working on two different alphabets... because I am mad.