The picturesque and historic Cotswolds was the location for much filming of the Harry Potter film franchise – any Potter fans in the family will love these days out where you can see Hogwarts, character homes and more!
Before our children were old enough to appreciate Harry Potter, we often saw fans and tourists from all over the world dressing up, filming social media content, and getting the perfect photo in these pretty places. Now our boys have watched a few of the films, they join in with the mania and absolutely love coming here and seeing parts of ‘Hogwarts’ in real life!
Where can I find Harry Potter Filming Locations in the UK?
The Harry Potter films were mostly filmed in the UK, and there are some amazing places to visit on your trip to our fair isle where you can see for yourself where the movie magic was made.
In this post, I will concentrate on where to see locations filmed in the Cotswolds, covering parts of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire.
Some of our other favourites in the UK are : The Harry Potter Studio Tour in London, Dobbies final resting place in Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire (Wales), The Glenfiddian Aquaduct, Scotland (The Hogwarts Express), Durham Cathedral (Hogwarts) and Malham Cove (The Deathly Hallows – Yorkshire).
Harry Potter Filming Locations:
The Cotswolds
Lacock Abbey and Village
Best for: the whole family
Lacock Abbey and Village is a great place to tick off Harry Potter Filming Locations, with several located in a small area they are easy to explore in one day.
Lacock is well suited to exploring with small children, and is probably the best place in the Cotswolds area to take little ones to find Harry Potter Filming locations – Oxford and Gloucester have beautiful filming locations from the film too, which we loved, but they werent as family friendly to explore as Lacock – where there is lots for them to do in the Abbey itself (lots of filming locations can be found here) and the whole village is pretty much owned by the National Trust, and they offer lots of activites and trails for children, especially in school holidays.
Lacock itself is a pretty place to take the kids on a day out with plenty to see and do – check out our Lacock Guide for Families below, and read on to find the exact locations of Harry Potter filming.
Slughorn’s House – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
SCENE: Harry Potter and Dumbledore go to persuade Professor Horace Slughorn, who is in hiding from the death eaters, to join the Hogwarts’ teaching staff as defence against the dark arts teacher.
LOCATION ON MAP: 4-6 Chapel Hill, Lacock, Chippenham SN15 2LA
James and Lily Potters’ House – The Philosopher’s Stone
Lacock Village
SCENE: In a flash back, Hagrid tells Harry what really happened to his parents that night in Godrics Hollow. We see a woman holding a baby in the window, and a flash of green from Voldemort’s wand.
Interesting fact- The Potters home was later changed and is a different house (CGI) in the later Deathly Hallows films.
LOCATION ON MAP: Church St, Lacock, Chippenham SN15 2LB (Next to the Church)
The Babberton Arms, Budleigh Babberton – The Half Blood Prince
Lacock Village
SCENE: Harry Potter and Dumbledore walk through the fictional village of Bubleigh Babberton, on their way to find Professor Sluggorn. They pass the Babberton Arms pub (real life the ‘Sign of the Angel’ pub)
LOCATION ON MAP: 6 Church St, Lacock, Chippenham SN15 2LB
The Mirror of Erised – The Philosophers Stone
Lacock Abbey ( Chapter House )
SCENE: Harry Potter sits and sees the image of his parents in the Mirror of Erised. Later, Harry shows Ron the Mirror who sees himself winning the quidditch world cup, and later Harry speaks with Dumbledore about the magical mirror and is told ” It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live”
There are other rooms in the medival house where Snape’s potion class and Quirrel’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class was filmed.
LOCATION ON MAP: Lacock, Chippenham SN15 2LG
Hogwarts Corridors – The Philophers Stone and The Chamber of Secrets
Lacock Abbey (Cloisters)
SCENE: Harry Potter is taken by Professor McGonagall to meet Oliver Wood to join the quidditch team, after she has seen him flying in The Philosophers Stone.
SCENE: Harry Potter is wandering the corridor in his invisibility cloak and see Snape and Quirrel arguing in the Philosophers Stone.
SCENE: Ron and Harry are in the castle Corridors at night, they realise Ginny has been taken by the Basilik and know where they have to go – The Chamber of Secrets.
LOCATION ON MAP: Lacock, Chippenham SN15 2LG
The City of Oxford
Best for: Teenagers and Adults
The Bodelian Library
SCENE: The Bodelian Library, part of Oxford University and found in central Oxford, was used as Hogwarts library where Hermoine research Nicholas Flammel in the Philosophers Stone. The actual room of the Bodleian Library used in the scene is the Duke Humprey Library (reading room).
SCENE: The Hogwarts Infirmary, first featuring in The Philosophers stone and then subsequent Harry Potter films, was filmed in the so-called Divinity School – a historic building and lecture hall which is part of the Bodelian Library.
LOCATION ON MAP: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BG
The Bodelian Library is a working library of the prestigious Oxford University and is as such, closed to the public. However, you can still visit the library by booking on to one of the universitys’ guided tours.
Christchurch College
SCENE: The first meeting between Professional McGonagall and the first year students where she briefs them on the staircase outside the great hall before they are sorted in to their houses. Harry and Draco also meet here for the first time.
LOCATION ON MAP: Poplar Walk, Oxford OX1 1SS
Christchurch College is a stunning historic college – we loved the tour and really enjoyed seeing the famous staircase when Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts, and we see inside the castle for the first time! The quad courtyard, Tom Tower, and Great Hall are also very impressive and a must-see if you love architecture and historic buildings.
Bear in mind, this tour is probably suited to older kids and teens, as I can’t imagine it holding the interest of younger children; I personally wouldn’t take my kids here as I imagine they would be quite bored – there isn’t anything for them here. They are only 7 and 5, though. Maybe at 12 or 13, they would be more interested? It’s also one of the more expensive colleges to visit, so if I were visiting Oxford with primary aged children or younger, I would probably choose a free college to explore. Find out more about a day out in Oxford with kids here ⬇️
Gloucester Cathedral
Best for: Teenagers and adults
Again, a huge church, no matter how impressive and beautiful to me, doesn’t feature highly on my kids radar for a fun day out – just being honest! However, we did take the kids here for a quick visit, and bribed them with sweets and trip to the playground afterwards. They behaved themselves and we loved seeing the beautiful building and then re-watching the films, spotting where we had been!
The amazing cathedral with its intricate fan vaulted ceilings and cloisters were used in several Harry Potter films as Hogwarts corridors.
SCENE: The Philosophers Stone, when the Troll is loose in the castle.
SCENE: The Chamber of Secrets, when “The Chamber has been opened” appears in blood on the wall.
SCENE: The Half Blood Prince, when Harry and Ron hear students talking about Draco in the corridors.
LOCATION ON MAP: 12 College Grn, Gloucester GL1 2LX
Cotswold Little Explorers 
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