The Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)

The Location: England

 

Certain things spring to mind when thinking of Great Britain; the royals, the stiff upper lip, afternoon tea, The Beatles... Yet in a relatively short period of time a boy wizard has joined that list of one of the UK's most famous exports.

Little luxies want to be the characters, adults sneak-a-peek at the books, the movies have been universally successful, it has turned unknown pre-teen actors into megastars and the franchise has made over US $15 billion.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two was released worldwide July 15 and is being deemed as 'The Epic Conclusion of the Worldwide Phenomenon' (The Luxury Travel Bible can't argue with that statement).

Now that we have all donned the 3-D glasses, seen the movie, the box office records have been smashed and we have all began our mourning period that our time at Hogwarts is over. Although much of the filming was surrounded in secrecy as we enter the Harry Potter's final act TLTB takes a look at some of the Harry Potter filming locations.

The final Harry Potter film will take fans full circle. We originally saw a fresh-faced Harry, Ron and Hermione board the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station's platform 9 ¾ in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone for TLTB's American readers). The cast and crew were spotted amidst high security filming at the station for the final Harry Potter scene.

King's Cross Station makes no secret of its links to the franchise, dedicated a section of the railway as the secret platform 9 ¾. Muggles wishing to emulate the students in their final year at Hogwarts can pose for photos to their heart's content ... only risking the wrath of commuters as opposed to Lord Voldemort or Lucius Malfoy.

In the movie version of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets', the exterior of St. Pancras train station next door was used, as its imposing Gothic façade was considered more impressive for the big screen than King's Cross' exterior.

During Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Ron and Hermione are seen embracing on a vast, empty beach. Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire was transformed into a Hollywood set and a full sized Shell Cottage (a safe house for Bill and Fleur Weasley), was constructed for the movie amongst the sand dunes. Sadly this building was only temporary however the beach remains a tourist attraction. It is well known for its swell and strong waves therefore making it a favourite for surfers. However it is only recommended for experienced and strong swimming surfers. Wildlife known to reside at Freshwaters West include seabirds, otters, grey seals, porpoises and the chough which is one of the rarest members of the crow family. Ridley Scott's recent adaptation of Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blancett was also shot at Freshwater West, where the area in this situation stood in for the French coastline