Welcome to a new blog with yours truly! This series will introduce some of the filming locations used to create the Harry Potter films, exploring how the team behind the films made these locations into something truly magical! The next stop on our wizarding tour is Alnwick Castle!
Located in Northumberland and originally built in the 11th Century, it's been remodelled several times over the years! Now, it serves as the home of Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland, and his family, although it attracts over half a million visitors each year!
Alnwick Castle's beautiful exterior featured in several films, particularly in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. If you visit the castle, you can admire the scenery and pretend you're heading to classes at Hogwarts - and know that you're walking in the same place that the cast once did!
- Harry's first flying lesson takes place in the outer bailey of Alnwick Castle, and you can walk around the grounds and find the exact spot where he learnt to fly and had his first Quidditch practice!
- The grounds of Alnwick Castle also played host to the Flying Ford Anglia's crash site!
- The grounds were also used for scenes involving Hagrid's Hut and the Forbidden Forest in the first two films - although Alnwick's grounds are a lot more inviting than the spooky forest in the films!
That's all for this week - stay tuned for the next edition to explore more filming locations and learn more about how the Harry Potter films were created! Have you ever visited Alnwick Castle? Had you ever heard of it before this article? Let us know in the comments!
