Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
Hi, I'm Claire!Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
Hi, I'm Claire!Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
A trip to the UK’s top Harry Potter filming locations isn’t just a way to feed your inner Potterhead—it’s also an opportunity to discover many of the country’s most singular and spectacular destinations. From UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Durham Cathedral and stretches of unspoiled Scottish Highland beauty, to the bustle of Central London and the scholarly halls of Oxford University, these filming locations offer the opportunity to step right into the movie magic—and immerse yourself in the saga of the Boy Who Lived.
A fitting place to begin a tour of the UK’s top Harry Potter filming locations, the hallowed halls of Oxford University were both an inspiration for Hogwarts and a filming location. Multiple scenes were also shot across its grounds, from the Christ Church Cloisters and the Bodleian Library to the Divinity School. After spending time following in the footsteps of the Boy Who Lived, soak up the rest of this city’s scholarly ambiance on a bike tour—or even a boat trip along the Thames.
Insider tip: While it didn’t feature in the films directly, Christ Church’s Dining Hall is said to have been the model for Hogwarts’ Great Hall.
The village of Lacock is a landmark in its own right: mentioned in the Domesday Book and known for its unspoiled beauty, Lacock is also a darling of the silver screen, appearing in Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Wolf Hall. It additionally starred in several of the Harry Potter films, for which the 13th-century Lacock Abbey was transformed into Hogwarts corridors and classrooms (including Snape’s potions class), while a family home in the village served as Lily and James Potter’s house in the first movie. Best of all for sightseers, Lacock is located near many other popular destinations, including Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor Castle.
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A UNESCO World Heritage Site—and and the largest Norman cathedral in the country—the almost 1,000-year-old Durham Cathedral in northeastern England is a bona fide architectural marvel. It’s also a pilgrimage site for both religious devotees as well as Harry Potter fanatics, thanks to its starring role in the first two films in the series. The cathedral’s ancient cloisters enjoyed a good amount of screen time, while its Chapter House was the site of Professor McGonagall’s classroom. After your visit, take a history-themed walking tour to learn more about Durham’s rich past.
Few shots in the Harry Potter movies are more recognizable than the image of the Hogwarts Express crossing Scotland’s Glenfinnan Viaduct, puffs of steam trailing in its wake. The majestic railway viaduct, built over a century ago, is located in the rugged western Highlands near the glacier-born Loch Shiel (itself an inspiration for Hogwarts’ Great Lake). On Highlands tours, you can discover the viaduct’s grandeur as part of a full day of sightseeing—or feel like a student en route to Hogwarts when you hop aboard the Jacobite Steam Train (no promise that chocolate frogs will be available on the snack trolley, though).
Another Harry Potter filming location in Scotland’s western Highlands, Glencoe is almost absurdly picturesque. The eponymous village sits right on Loch Leven, while its valley gives way to waterfalls and soaring peaks. Little wonder that its dramatic topography made Glencoe an ideal movie setting—it featured prominently in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and served as a backdrop for Hogwarts, as well as the site of Hagrid’s hut. Glencoe is a highlight of many Highlands tours, and is often paired with Loch Ness to add an additional layer of the supernatural.
The mother of all Harry Potter filming locations, Warner Bros. Studio, located on the edge of London, is a dream destination for any visiting witch or wizard. Used to film all eight Harry Potter films between 2001–2010, the studios have today been transformed into a sprawling, permanent exhibition site, where fans can step into spellbinding film sets, discover the secrets behind animatronic special effects, see exhibits of costumes and props, and otherwise discover the artistry and technical skill that went into making the series possible.
As a complement to Warner Bros. Studio, finish your Harry Potter film locations excursion in the heart of London, where many famous scenes featured the capital’s best-known landmarks as their backdrops. From Millennium Bridge and King’s Cross Station to Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Leadenhall Market, eagle-eyed fans can spot locations from the eight movies all across town on a filming locations bus or walking tour.
