As a huge Harry Potter fan, I could not pass up the opportunity to visit some of the castles the movies were filmed at. When I heard Citylife Tours was doing a Harry Potter Film Set trip I bought a ticket and waited excitedly for the day to finally arrive. This past Sunday, myself and a whole bus full of Harry Potter fans set off for our magical day trip. Our first stop was at Alnwick Castle in England, which was only about a two-hour drive from Edinburgh. With a group rate, tickets into the Castle were only ten pounds each and it was definitely worth it! The experience was an interesting mix of whimsical and historical. Our introduction to the Castle was very fun. When the tour bus first drove into the car park, we passed a little pond and in the pond laid a huge half-asleep giant with its giant-sized laundry hanging on a clothes line in a tree nearby. After getting past the giant and making our way through Admissions, we past oversized story books and a mini golf course with huge bugs decorating the greenery.
The path eventually took us to the Castle which was breathtaking in the morning sun. As I walked closer to the entrance, I became more and more excited. The broomstick training scenes from the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie where filmed at Alnwick which basically equates the Castle with Hogwarts! On first entering the Castle, I saw a bunch of little kids on the lawn taking part in a flying lesson with wooden broomsticks! The flying class was all booked but my friends and I managed to get our hands on a broomstick to take some deceptive photos with. It was magical.
After giving the broomstick back, we explored the right-hand part of the Castle which was older and had exhibits about the history of the structure. Once we walked through all the open rooms, we went through the middle part of Alnwick which was extraordinary. The middle section marked the start of the renovated living quarters where the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland still live. It was breathtaking. So much more beautiful than Holyrood Palace. There were stunning chandeliers, magnificent artwork and sculptures, elegant decorating, it looked fit for royalty and I hadn't even gotten to the library yet. My jaw dropped when I first walked into the library. It was unbelievable. Hundreds of first edition manuscripts and books lined almost every inch of the walls. There was even a second level of bookshelves accessed by a winding staircase. Pictures were not allowed in the room, but I don’t think even a picture would do the room justice. The Percy family that still lives in the Castle for most of the year left their modern mark in the historic room by putting in a foosball table and a bar with plenty of drink options including a few cans of Coke! The room was also decorated with various family photos from weddings. It felt both fresh and traditional at the same time. After seeing the rest of the living quarters of the Castle, my friends and I were let out at the left side which was the part of Alnwick we came to see: the section where the broomstick scene was filmed. Unfortunately, the most recognizable section was under construction, but it was still easy to imagine the scene being shot on that very same grass.
I felt like a little kid again seeing one of the places the movies were shot at. We could not gawk for very long since we didn’t have a lot of time to explore Alnwick. We of course had to go through the gift shop before heading back to the bus. About half the shop was filled with all things Harry Potter which was tempting. Once everyone made it back to the bus, we continued on our way for a photo stop at the Angel of the North.
This giant steel sculpture has stood at over 6o feet tall and over 170 feet wide (very long wings) in Gateshead since 1998. It was designed by Antony Gormley and cost 800,000 pounds. It weighs 108 tons. Gormley said he chose an angel because “firstly, to remind us that below this site coal miners worked in the dark for two hundred years, secondly to grasp hold of the future expressing our transition from the industrial age to the information age, and lastly to be a focus for our hopes and fears.” The sculpture was intimidating. When I stood beneath the wings, I was awestruck by the invention of such a massive piece of steel. It was striking. Our photo stop was a very quick one. Fifteen minutes later, we were back on the bus for a short drive to Durham.
Durham is considered a city despite its very small size. There are actually only two main streets in Durham. My whole group laughed when our tour guide told us this. Citylife organized for a tour guide to meet us as soon as we got off the bus to waste no time. Our guide took us through the city to Durham Castle and Cathedral and told us about the interesting facts and histories of the city. One of the best universities in England, Durham University, actually allows students to study in the Castle buildings which is amazing. The main attraction of our tour was not the Castle though, it was the Cathedral (together, the Castle and Cathedral are considered an UNESCO World Heritage site).The entrance to the Cathedral had an intricately constructed Lego scale model of the Cathedral, stained glass and interior decorating included. Impressive as it was, it did not compare to just how gorgeous the Cathedral was. The ceiling was very high with vaulted Gothic like ceilings and stained glass everywhere. It looked fit for a royal wedding. From the Cathedral, we explored more of the grounds including the cloister area which was where shots from multiple Harry Potter movies were filmed at (for example when Harry gives Dobby his sock).
Standing there surrounded by all the arches, it really felt like Hogwarts. My tour group could not control our excitement. We all started taking as many pictures as possible to remember forever our brief time at Hogwarts! It was a great day. Even though we did not have enough time to explore the city, even with it being as small as it was, I felt like we saw the most important bits of it.
Wishing you warm drinks and magical new adventures,
Maria
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