According to a holiday expert, this summer, it’s possible to stay in some of the historic locations that double as the Hogwarts school in the "Harry Potter" films. Lily Smith, a travel expert from accommodation finder UniversityRooms.com, says: “Most 'muggles' don’t realize that many filming locations for Hogwarts are not just sets. Several Oxford University colleges have featured in the movies as the famous school of wizardry and witchcraft.
“The most famous of these is Christ Church College. Christ Church was used as the filming location and inspiration for many Harry Potter films. The Great Staircase and Tudor Great Dining Hall are instantly recognizable to Potter fans. For visitors who have booked accommodation at Christ Church, there’s even the opportunity to enjoy breakfast in The Great Hall, which was replicated to create the grand Hogwarts Hall. The 16th-century staircase is also memorable as the place where Harry and the other first-years are greeted by Professor McGonagall in the first movie.
“Even the hallways are full of Potter lore. The hallways of Christ Church were also used to film the scene in which Hermione shows Harry the Quidditch trophy his father won."
Smith says it's possible to stay as guests of the college during Easter and summer. "Of course, the buildings are of architectural and historical interest, reflecting the differing centuries since the college’s foundation. Unless you’ve mastered your 'apparition' skills, you may need to know there are no lifts in any accommodation staircases, with some bedrooms up several flights of stairs," she added. Christ Church offers rooms for single or twin occupancy. All guests should be over 18, but babies and children can share a room with adults.
“Christ Church is not the only real-life Hogwarts in Oxford. The seemingly misnamed New College, which actually dates back to 1379, is also familiar to Potter fans. In particular, New College’s cloisters will be well-known to anyone who hasn’t suffered one of Professor Lockhart’s memory charms. In the movie ‘The Goblet of Fire,’ Draco Malfoy taunts Harry while sitting on a large tree in the cloisters of New College. Malfoy gets his comeuppance when he is turned into a ferret by Mad-Eye Moody."
A number of other historic colleges also offer rooms near to New College and other Potter locations. In "The Sorcerer's Stone," the Bodleian’s Duke Humfrey’s Library forms the backdrop to Harry’s adventure hidden underneath his invisibility cloak.
Beyond Oxford, a number of London universities offer inexpensive rooms near venues such as Leadenhall Market. This famous market in the city of London was featured in "The Sorcerer's Stone" and the entrance to the infamous wizard’s pub, the Leaky Cauldron is, in real life, an optician in Bull’s Head Passage.
“One more place to recommend is Durham. Its famous cathedral has doubled as Hogwarts in two films. Its cloistered quadrangle is where Harry releases Hedwig in ‘The Sorcerer's Stone’ and The Chapter House is transfigured into Professor McGonagall’s transfiguration classroom in ‘The Chamber of Secrets,’ says Smith. "You can actually stay in the historic Durham Castle, which is owned by Durham University and lets you feel as if you have stepped straight into a world of magic and legends."
For more information, visit www.universityrooms.com.
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