The English Castle Where Harry Potter Learned To Fly

Though not a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I knew enough to recognize the castle that stood in for Hogwarts in the first two movies about The Boy Who Lived. It was 25 years ago this November that Harry took off from a lawn in northern England, launching a film franchise that will forever be known as the epitome of magic.

That lawn belongs to Alnwick Castle, home of the Dukes of Northumberland and Hogwarts in both the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). I visited it this past summer, found the castle running broomstick lessons on the very same grass, and left with a new HBO series to look forward to this Christmas.

The first thing I had to learn was how to properly pronounce Alnwick. And trust me, a little practice before you arrive will save you from embarrassing yourself. Despite what you'd think, Alnwick is pronounced "ANN-ick." The L is silent, as is the W.

It's a quirk Alnwick shares with towns like Warwick and Berwick, places that also grew out of the Old English word "wic" meaning a dwelling or settlement. Somewhere along the way, that "W" lost its sound, most likely in the 16th century, while the spelling stayed put.

Hogwarts, Northumberland Style

Before getting into its Harry Potter connection, it's worth learning a little more about Alnwick Castle. The first written record dates to 1138, and the Percy family bought it in 1309. Twelve Dukes of Northumberland have lived here since George III raised the family to a dukedom in 1766, and they still call it home.

The castle's scale certainly impresses and gave the Harry Potter film crews plenty of options. The Outer Bailey, the broad lawn which you see almost immediately after passing through the main gate, became the Hogwarts flying ground. It was here Madam Hooch, played by Zoë Wanamaker, taught Harry's class to mount a broom, and where Neville Longbottom lost control of his. The same stretch of grass served as Harry's Quidditch training ground.

The Inner Bailey and its courtyards appear as students and staff cross between lessons, and the Lion Arch, a stone gateway in the outer walls, is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione pass on their way to Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. What struck me most was how little the filmmakers had to change. The lawn, the curtain wall, and the towers behind it are exact to the film, and best of all, you can explore almost all of it to relive your favorite scenes.

Broomstick Training

Alnwick Castle runs Broomstick Training sessions in the Outer Bailey. Lessons are included with castle admission, but run to a timetable, so you need a free time-slot ticket, issued on a first-come, first-served basis on arrival.

Sessions take place at intervals throughout the day, weather permitting. Keep your ticket safe, as it'll be checked at the start of the lesson. The teaching is done by the castle's own resident wizarding professors (of course!). Students learn to mount and dismount, then move on to cornering, maneuvering, accelerating and braking, before curving across the lawn.

Anyone can take part, and the instructors treat it as much of a comedy routine as a lesson. Once you pass (and you will!), the professors reveal how to make a broomstick appear to lift off the grass for the camera. Naturally, graduates are sworn to secrecy, so to learn just how it's done... well, you'll have to visit and find out.

There's a historical hook here, too. The castle frames the lesson as a chance to channel Henry Percy, the 9th Earl of Northumberland. Known as the Wizard Earl for his scientific experiments, he was the main man at Alnwick more than 400 years ago. If you prefer the medieval to magical, the Artisans Courtyard offers Dragon Quest, an obstacle course ending in a confrontation with a dragon, and "Have-a-go Archery" sessions are also available on the grounds.

Twenty-Five Years Since the First Flight

The anniversary that makes this a 2026 story is a big one. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had its world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London's West End on November 4, 2001, and opened to the general public on both sides of the Atlantic on November 16, 2001.

Warner Bros. Discovery has spent the year celebrating the milestone. A new 25th anniversary logo, inspired by the silvery glow of the Patronus Charm, the spell Harry uses to summon a glowing guardian against the soul-sucking Dementors, has made its way onto merchandise. The film itself returned to cinemas worldwide for a week in late August, with 12 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage never previously shown on a big screen, with the rest of the films returning to the big screen that same week for a 19 hour and 39 minute marathon.

Then there's the new television series that reimagines the story. The first season of HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone premieres on December 25, 2026, with eight episodes based on the first book. Harry, Ron and Hermoine return with an all new cast with the series already being renewed for a second season.

Filming of the new series is being done at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the Hertfordshire complex where the original films' interiors were built.

Downton Abbey in Alnwick

As I explored the castle, I was also impressed to learn that it has 41 film and television productions on its credit list. You too can learn about these (Harry Potter films included) on Talks and Tours, one of which focuses on film locations on the castle grounds. The tour covers Harry Potter, Blackadder, Downton Abbey, Transformers, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, to name but a few.

Downton Abbey was of particular interest, with Alnwick's standing in for the show's Brancaster Castle, the Northumberland residence that features in two Downton Abbey Christmas specials. The castle's magnificent Library with its 14,000 books appears in several scenes, and scenes were shot in the State Rooms, on the ramparts, and in Bow Alley and at nearby St Michael's Church Hall in town.

Downton Abbey fan or not, the State Rooms are worth the price of admission alone. Redesigned in Italian Renaissance style in the 1850s, the State Rooms hold eight paintings by Canaletto, the Venetian view painter, and a pair of ebony cabinets in the Drawing Room by Domenico Cucci, cabinetmaker to Louis XIV, delivered to the French king in 1683.

Hugh Bonneville, who played Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, named Alnwick as his top British film location, citing its roles in Harry Potter, Robin Hood and Downton Abbey. For a Downton fan, the practical advice is simple: do the State Rooms, then walk out through the town to Hulne Park and look for the priory on its hill.

To find out more about the film and TV experiences available at magnificent Alnwick Castle, visit their website at www.alnwickcastle.com.