Most of the Harry Potter movies were filmed across real locations in the United Kingdom—mainly England and Scotland—with some key sets built at Leavesden Film Studios (now Warner Bros. Studio Tour London) just outside London. Fans today can visit many of these castles, cathedrals, London streets, and Highland landscapes that stood in for Hogwarts and the wizarding world.

Main filming hubs

  • Leavesden Studios (Hertfordshire, England) – The primary production base where most interior sets were built, including the Great Hall, common rooms, classrooms, and the Ministry of Magic.
  • Across England – Historic sites in London, Oxford, and the West Country provided many Hogwarts interiors and Diagon Alley exteriors.
  • Scottish Highlands – Wide shots of Hogwarts and the Hogwarts Express used dramatic landscapes, lochs, and viaducts in Scotland.
  • Wales – Some coastal and beach scenes, including Shell Cottage and Dobby’s resting place, were filmed on the Welsh coast.

Key Hogwarts locations

  • Alnwick Castle (Northumberland) – Early Hogwarts exterior and broomstick lesson scenes, including Harry’s first flying lesson.
  • Gloucester Cathedral & Durham Cathedral – Used repeatedly for Hogwarts corridors and cloisters, including snowy walks with Hedwig and various classroom approach shots.
  • Lacock Abbey (Wiltshire) – Interior rooms used for Hogwarts classrooms such as Snape’s potions class and early corridor sequences.

London and “Muggle world” spots

  • King’s Cross Station & St Pancras (London) – Platforms and exterior used for the Hogwarts Express departures to Hogwarts.
  • Leadenhall Market & Australia House (London) – Leadenhall Market helped form Diagon Alley exteriors, while Australia House’s interior inspired Gringotts Bank.
  • London Zoo (Regent’s Park) – The Reptile House where Harry first talks to a snake in the first film.

Iconic outdoor landscapes

  • Glenfinnan Viaduct (Scotland) – The famous viaduct crossed by the Hogwarts Express in several movies.
  • Loch Shiel & surrounding lochs (Scotland) – Used as the Black Lake around Hogwarts and for sweeping Hogwarts vistas.
  • Seven Sisters Cliffs (Sussex, England) – The cliff-top walk where Harry approaches the Portkey to the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire.

Other memorable spots

  • Lacock Village (Wiltshire) – Used for Godric’s Hollow–style village scenes and the exterior of Harry’s parents’ cottage.
  • Freshwater West (Pembrokeshire, Wales) – Beach used for Shell Cottage and Dobby’s grave in Deathly Hallows.
  • Oxford locations (Christ Church, New College, Bodleian Library) – Provided great halls, libraries, and courtyards that blended into the on‑screen Hogwarts complex.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.