Britain’s castles, cathedrals, country houses and coastline have doubled as wizarding schools, gangland Birmingham and the Seven Kingdoms. The good news for fans is that most of these places are real, open to visitors and worth seeing in their own right. This guide is organised by production and sticks to locations confirmed by the venues themselves or by national and regional tourism bodies. Opening times vary widely, and working buildings can close for services, events or more filming, so always check the official site before you travel.
Harry Potter filming locations
The Harry Potter films used locations across Britain to build Hogwarts, and several are easy to combine with a short break.
- Alnwick Castle, Northumberland. The castle served as Hogwarts in the first two films, and its Outer Bailey is where Madam Hooch gives the first-years their flying lesson in Philosopher’s Stone. The castle runs broomstick training sessions on the same spot in season. It is closed in winter and plans to reopen in March 2027. See our Northumberland guide and two days in Northumberland.
- Oxford. At Christ Church, the 16th-century stone staircase leading to the dining hall is where the new pupils first arrive at Hogwarts. At the Bodleian Library, the medieval Duke Humfrey’s Library doubled as the Hogwarts library and the Divinity School as the hospital wing. See our Oxfordshire guide and two days in Oxfordshire.
- Gloucester Cathedral. The fan-vaulted cloisters became Hogwarts corridors in several of the films.
- Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. Rooms off the cloister of this National Trust property were used as Hogwarts classrooms, and the Chapter House is where Harry finds the Mirror of Erised.
- Durham Cathedral. The cloisters and Chapter House appear in the first two films; the Chapter House was Professor McGonagall’s classroom.
- Glenfinnan, Scottish Highlands. The curving Glenfinnan Viaduct carries the Hogwarts Express on screen, and the waters of Loch Shiel below feature in Prisoner of Azkaban. Steam trains cross the viaduct on the line between Fort William and Mallaig in season.
- Goathland, North Yorkshire. The village station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway appeared as Hogsmeade Station in the first film.
- King’s Cross, London. A luggage trolley disappearing into the wall on the station concourse marks Platform 9¾.
The studio sets are at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, beside the studios where all eight films were made. Entry is by advance ticket only, and popular dates sell out well ahead.
Peaky Blinders filming locations
The series is set in Birmingham, but its best-known backdrop is in the Black Country. The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic shops, houses and workshops around a canal arm, and that canal arm was dressed as Charlie Strong’s yard — a setting the museum says appears in all six series. The museum’s streets and canal towpath were used for other scenes too. It launched official Peaky Blinders filming location tours in May 2026 and has held themed evening events; see the museum’s website for what is running and for opening days, which are reduced in winter.
Ted Lasso filming locations
AFC Richmond may be fictional, but Ted’s neighbourhood is real: Richmond upon Thames in south-west London. Paved Court, a narrow pedestrian lane, provides the exterior of Ted’s flat, and The Prince’s Head pub on the corner of Richmond Green is the show’s Crown and Anchor. The Green itself is the backdrop to many scenes. All three are within a couple of minutes’ walk of each other and a short stroll from Richmond station. The club’s home ground on screen is Selhurst Park, the stadium of Crystal Palace in south London. (This is not the Richmond in North Yorkshire — easily confused when booking trains.)
Downton Abbey filming locations
Highclere Castle in Hampshire is Downton Abbey itself, used throughout the television series and the films. It remains a family home and opens to the public only on selected dates each year, with tickets sold in advance through the castle’s website — plan well ahead. The village scenes were filmed in Bampton in west Oxfordshire, whose church and old stone streets stood in for Downton village; you can walk around freely at any time. And Alnwick Castle in Northumberland played Brancaster Castle in the 2014 and 2015 Christmas specials, with the state rooms used for interior scenes.
Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland
Much of Game of Thrones was made in Northern Ireland, and the locations are spread across some of its best scenery.
- The Dark Hedges, County Antrim. This avenue of old beech trees became the Kingsroad. It is free to visit and gets very busy; go early or late in the day.
- Ballintoy Harbour, County Antrim. The small harbour on the Causeway Coast was used for Pyke and the Iron Islands.
- Cushendun Caves, County Antrim. The sea caves beside the village are where Melisandre gives birth to the shadow creature.
- Castle Ward, County Down. The farmyard of this National Trust estate near Strangford was transformed into Winterfell, and many other scenes were shot in the grounds.
- Tollymore Forest Park, County Down. The forest in the Mourne foothills appears as the Haunted Forest, and is where the Starks find the direwolf pups.
- Downhill Strand, County Londonderry. The long beach below Mussenden Temple became Dragonstone.
Belfast is the natural base, with day tours to both the Antrim coast and County Down; Portrush is handy for the Causeway Coast locations. The official Game of Thrones Studio Tour, with original sets, costumes and props, is at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, between Belfast and the border.
Outlander filming locations in Scotland
Most of Outlander’s Scottish locations are in the central belt rather than the Highlands, which makes them easy to reach from Edinburgh.
- Doune Castle, near Stirling — Castle Leoch, seat of Clan MacKenzie.
- Midhope Castle, near South Queensferry — Lallybroch, the Fraser family home. It stands on a private estate and only the exterior can be seen; check access arrangements before you go.
- Blackness Castle, on the Firth of Forth — Fort William.
- Culross, Fife — the village of Cranesmuir. This well-preserved old burgh is small and can feel crowded, so visit considerately.
- Falkland, Fife — the stand-in for 1940s Inverness.
- Bakehouse Close and Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh — Old Town closes off the Royal Mile used for 18th-century Edinburgh.
The standing stones of Craigh na Dun are fictional, but the real history is not: Culloden Battlefield, a short drive from Inverness, is where the Jacobite rising ended in 1746, and the nearby Clava Cairns are often cited as an inspiration for the stones. Our long weekend in Edinburgh guide makes a good starting point.
More screen locations: Pride and Prejudice and The Prisoner
The Peak District is Jane Austen country on screen. Chatsworth played Pemberley in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice, the gritstone escarpment of Stanage Edge is where Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennet stands looking out over the moors, and Lyme Park provided the exterior of Pemberley in the BBC’s 1995 series. All three fit into two days in the Peak District.
In north Wales, the Italianate village of Portmeirion was “The Village” in the cult 1960s series The Prisoner, filmed on location there in 1966 and 1967. It is open to day visitors and looks almost exactly as it did on screen.
Good to know
- Check opening dates. Alnwick Castle and Highclere are seasonal, and cathedrals, colleges and libraries close for services, ceremonies and events. Confirm on the official website.
- Book ahead. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Highclere, Christ Church and Bodleian tours all use advance or timed tickets.
- Respect residents. Places such as Culross, Bampton and Paved Court are real communities. Keep noise down, do not block doorways and never photograph through windows.
- See what is on. Many venues run themed events and tours; browse the UK events calendar for dated listings.