The charming Harry Potter tourist spot in North Yorkshire that attracts fans from all over the world

Yorkshire’s famous station that you must visit even if Harry Potter isn’t your thing.

Twenty years ago I was on holiday in Anglesey and we decided to visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch while we were in the area.

It was nothing more than a tourist trap, and I’m not sure why I expected anything different. There was a station with a long sign, a shop full of Llanfair PG souvenirs and little else of interest. The 58-character name was created as a publicity stunt during the railroad boom of the mid-19th century. Having the longest place name in Europe put the village, formerly known as Llanfair y Pwllgwyngyll, on the map and provided much-needed tourism income.

We looked at the sign for about half a minute, went into the shop, bought nothing and left Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, never to return. Yet this disappointing tourist attraction still attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

I felt a similar sense of indifference when I visited Goathland Station. For those who don’t know, this station, located in the heart of the North York Moors, served as ‘Hogsmeade Station’ in the Harry Potter film series. Harry Potter fans from all over the world are drawn to this charming station, located in a National Park, for its well-preserved nostalgia.

Ultimately, though, it felt like a station with a gift shop. There was no chance of running into Harry, Hermione or Ron. The little Harry Potter chocolate frog, complete with a ‘collectible’ wizard card for £5, and a small box of Harry Potter jellybeans for £6.50, didn’t exactly enhance the experience. The £3.50 parking ticket, valid until midnight, was an additional cost.

I remembered the excitement I felt when I visited Hadfield, Derbyshire, where much of The League of Gentleman was filmed. In 2000 it was a modest Pennine village. It was exciting to see the high street that appears at the start of each episode of the spooky BBC comedy series. Even spotting the lesser-known locations nearby was a pleasure.

I also thought about the fun Happy Valley fans get from exploring the ordinary and sometimes unsavory backstreets of Halifax, where scenes for Sally Wainwright’s hit crime drama were filmed. I was certainly happy to have lunch at the ‘Sheffield’ cafe, where Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) confronts Clare (Siobhan Finneran).

Related Posts