When we think about the magical world of Harry Potter are minds instinctively wander to faraway places, but when the books were projected onto the big screen for us all to marvel at and lose ourselves within, we forget that often we weren't just admiring witchcraft and wizardry but the natural wonders of our world. Our real world, that the producers and film crew brought the magic into.
Did you know that when you are admiring the landscapes in Harry Potter you are actually looking out over Yorkshire in some cases?
If Harry Potter shoot locations are your cup of tea then you will have to keep an eye on www.pcapredict.com/data- cleansing-software who are going to be releasing an eBook all about this!
For now though... I will share a few of the shoot locations with you!
For instance let me take you back to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, remember the scene where Harry and Hermione are trying to hide away from the Dark Lord, Voldemort... Or he who must not be named in the rocky camp? This natural limestone formation is actually Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales.
Once upon a time a river ran over the rocks and creates the beautiful pattern that we admire today.
Next on the Harry Potter Yorkshire list is Goathland Station, can anyone hazard a guess at where this may have been used? No? Well Goathland Station in the North York Moors actually served as Hogsmeade Station in the films. The station actually runs between Whitby and Pickering (Not Hogsmeade and Hogwarts unfortunately). You might also recognise this station from the television series Heartbeat (which I absolutely adored as a child!)
It's pretty amazing visiting somewhere that you have #SeenOnScreen - As a child I actually lived in Yorkshire, Barnsley, and I remember one day my parents taking me to where they filmed Emmerdale. We even went for a drink in the Woolpack which was just crazy (Because it's a real pub!), now it might not be in the same leagues as Harry Potter, but it was pretty cool nonetheless.
If Harry Potter is your calling though, then I can highly recommend a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour!