Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince (6)

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

Tower Bridge appears in the death eater section of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  Tower Bridge is located at Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UP, United Kingdom.  You can walk across the lower portion of the bridge at any time free of charge.  But if you'd like to access the towers and walk on the glass walkways and see the engine rooms, you have to purchase tickets on their official website:  Tower Bridge  Tickets are 16 pounds for adults and 8 pounds for kids, and I'd recommend buying them at least a day in advance because they do sell out.  You can visit from 9:30 am until their last entrance time at 4:30 p.m.  The death eater scene from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is here:  Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Death Eaters in London

Gloucester Cathedral in England

Gloucester Cathedral was one of the main inspirations for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.  The cloisters and lavatorium were the main areas of the cathedral used for filming in 3 of the Harry Potter movies. Walking the halls of the cathedral takes you straight into the movie, as you remember Harry, Hermione, Ron, and many of the other Hogwarts students and teachers walking those familiar halls.  Gloucester Cathedral was completed in 1130.  It was formerly the Abbey of St. Peter.  In 1350 the Great East Window was installed, and at the time was the largest window in the world.  It is the size of a tennis court and is made of stained glass.  It is behind the high altar on the east wall of the choir.  Near the entrance of the cathedral there is an interactive map that shows you where to find the filming sites.

Gloucester Cathedral's official website is here:  Gloucester Cathedral  Entry is free, although they do have a suggested donation of 5 euro.  Visiting hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from noon to 2:30 pm and again from 4 to 5 pm.  Check their website for unusual closing days or hours.  The address of the Cathedral is 12 College Grn, Gloucester GL1 2LX, United Kingdom.  Its google maps location is here:  Gloucester Cathedral

The location of Gloucester Cathedral on Google Maps

My family visited Gloucester Cathedral in November of 2024 when we were on a road trip through England.  We had already visited Harry Potter Studios in Watford and we were very excited to see another of the Harry Potter filming sites.  We walked through the cloisters and recognized the hallways from the films.  One of the hallways was closed off because they were decorating it for Christmas.  Unfortunately, that was the hallway with the Lavatorium, so we missed seeing that important filming site for Harry Potter.  The lavatorium is where Harry hides while listening to Snape & Malfoy's conversation in the north corridor.

approaching Gloucester Cathedral

my family at the cathedral in 2024

the east corridor

the south corridor

the interactive map near the entrance to the cathedral

beautiful ceilings

south corridor

the south corridor

the south corridor

the stained glass windows of the south corridor

the north corridor with lots of people decorating for Christmas

Snape and Malfoy having their conversation in the north corridor while Harry listens in

students walking the corridors in the movie

in the courtyard

the east corridor

the south corridor

the south corridor

My husband by the door to the Gryffindor Common Room from movie #1 and my daughter hiding in one of the carrels in the south corridor

my daughter walking the neighborhood near the cathedral

from the movie Harry hiding in the lavatorium listening to Snape & Malfoy's conversation

Harry Potter Studios in London

Warner Brothers Studio Tour London is located at Studio Tour Dr, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR, United Kingdom.  If you are a Harry Potter fan, it is a definite must-visit if you are ever in London.  The tickets are rather expensive, and you have to book them far in advance, but it is worth it.  Tickets are 56 pounds for adults, and they also offer family tickets, and tickets with added benefits.  I recommend purchasing priority parking so that you have parking right next to the entrance.  The Studio is open from 9:30 a.m. to 10 o'clock at night.  

Several aspects of this movie appear in the Harry Potter Studios tour, including the Mirror of Erised, which is so named because "erised" is "desire" spelled backwards.  Rather than showing your real reflection, it shows what you most desire.

The Mirror of Erised on display in the Studio

The Studio has a Platform 9 3/4 that you can pose next to for photos

The Dursley Home on Privet Drive is standing outside the studio

The Dining Hall is featured in every Harry Potter movie.  It was actually fashioned after the dining hall at Christ Church, Oxford.  No filming was done in the Christ Church dining hall, however.  The set was created to mimic this high-ceilinged dining hall and filming for all of the movies was done at the Studio.

The entrance to the dining hall

The Hogwarts Bridge, the wooden bridge appearing in this and several of the other movies

Diagon Alley appears in this movie.  

Scribbulus is a shop where wizards and witches can purchase writing supplies of all sorts

Mr Mullpeppers Apothecary is where wizards and witches can purchase items for potion making.

Slug & Jiggers is also an Apothecary selling potion ingredients

Eeylops Owl Emporium where wizards and witches can purchase owls

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is the shop founded by Fred and George that features jokes and novelty items

The stairway to nowhere

The Hogwarts Castle was built as a miniature and was used in scenes for each movie with the weather changing on the set.  When we visited, it was snowing at the castle.  There are other models built of the Hogwarts set that were used in filming also.

The Hogwarts Express is part of each Harry Potter movie as well.  The train sits on display in the studio and people can walk through it and look in each train car.

The Weasley house is on display outside the studio