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 Durham Cathedral!
Durham Cathedral is located in the North East of England in the city of Durham, and is home to the shrine of St Cuthbert. Construction began in 1093, and although the building came under threat during the Tudor dissolution of the monastries - during which St Cuthbert's tomb was destroyed - and the English Civil War, when Oliver Cromwell used it to hold prisoners of war, it has been carefully restored over the years.
There are several spots within the cathedral which were used to film, with the most famous being the cloisters - the covered hallways which surround the school grounds. This is also where Harry flies Hedwig across the snow, and the Cloister Garth is where Ron's 'Eat Slugs!' curse backfired during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Other spots used for filming include the Chapter House, which served as Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom - and several spots feature in the Marvel films, too!
- When filmed at Durham Cathedral, Filch's heavy set of keys that he carried around on patrol were actual keys to the cathedral!
- There is an inkwell carved with dragons and wyverns used in Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom which could be mistaken for a magical addition - in actual fact, it's a 19th Century piece and part of Durham Cathedral's collections!
- The Cloister, the covered walkways (see the photo below for reference!) would have had glass in the windows during the time the Benedictine monks lived at the cathedral!
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 Durham Cathedral? Can you spot the places filming took place? Let us know in the comments!
