Where HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Filmed in Cornwall and Devon — and How to Visit Before Christmas

The Dursleys’ worst-ever seaside holiday was filmed on a real Cornish beach — and there’s nothing stopping you standing on it.

With HBO’s Harry Potter arriving on HBO Max on Christmas Day, the corners of south-west England that doubled for the Wizarding World are having a moment. A quick note on timing: the location shoot happened back in October 2025, and the crews are long gone. This isn’t a set-spotting guide — it’s a list of places you can actually walk into before the series airs.

Cornwall

Cadgwith, a working fishing village on the Lizard Peninsula, filmed on October 7, 2025. Redanian Intelligence reported the scene as Vernon Dursley at the cove trying to buy a boat from an old fisherman, shot in simulated rain — the hut on the rock, essentially. Dominic McLaughlin wasn’t on set that day; his double stood in. VisitBritain now lists both the beach and the village inn as appearing in the series.

Kynance Cove, also on the Lizard, is where John Lithgow was spotted filming as Dumbledore. Turquoise water and white sand, and genuinely mobbed in July — go in the shoulder season if you can.

Carnglaze Caverns, on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor, is confirmed by VisitBritain as a shooting location. Underground, and open to visitors year-round.

Devon

Lustleigh sits in Dartmoor National Park near Bovey Tracey, and filmed in mid-October 2025. Thatched cottages, a historic churchyard, and — during the shoot — dressed shop fronts and production signage that led fans to conclude it was standing in for Godric’s Hollow. Take that with the caveat that HBO has never confirmed it. It’s a strong read based on what the production visibly built, not an announcement.

The village pub, The Cleave Inn, shut for two days of filming, and the production was known locally only by its code name, “brown cat.” It also filled the village’s potholes on the way in, which is more than most productions manage.

Getting there: Lustleigh is roughly 20 minutes from Newton Abbot, and Cadgwith is about 20 minutes from Helston. Both are narrow-lane villages with very limited parking — the Cadgwith car park sits above the village and you walk down.

Looking for more Harry Potter events? Check out our Things to Do page for everything else on the calendar.

Which one would you make the trip for? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow along for more Harry Potter news.

Source: Redanian Intelligence