Forget Pokemon fever! With the official opening of the long-awaited eighth story in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, just days away, we take a look at some of the magical places in England.

From tales of giants and wicked witches to steam train rides, owls and ghostly goings-on, you’ll find a little bit of Harry Potter magic wherever you travel…

Giants

The most mysterious man in Britain is to be found on a hillside near the seaside resort of Eastbourne. He is a muscular looking fellow, with his arms spread wide, and in each hand he grasps a pole as tall as himself.

That makes the poles 230ft long! For the Long Man of Wilmington – a towering figure cut into the chalk face of the South Downs – is not only a mystery man; he is also the largest representation of a human figure anywhere in Europe, and probably the world. Nobody knows who created this giant, let alone who he is supposed to be. Is he a Bronze Age figure or a representation of the war god Odin? Or a medieval joke carved by the monks of a nearby priory? Nobody knows for sure.

 

The Cerne Giant, a huge, naked, club-wielding figure, carved on a hillside in Dorset, is also shrouded in mystery. The giant’s early name ‘Helith’ and relationship to springtime fertility rites have led to the belief that he is a representation of the Roman Hercules. Whatever his origins he is certainly very old – thought to date from pre-Saxon times – and he is undeniably rather rude!

Wizards and Witches

According to popular myth, King Arthur was conceived at Tintagel Castle on the north coast of Cornwall. The fabled medieval monarch was taught by the wizard Merlin, who lived in a cave below the fortress. Today you can still see Merlin’s Cave and explore the spectacularly located castle ruins which cling precariously to a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Travelling east, one of England’s most famous witches is thought to have made her home in the spectacular caves at Wookey Hole in Somerset. According to legend, a monk from Glastonbury Abbey turned the old woman, who was believed to be a witch, into stone. The eerie figure of the Wookey Witch remains in the cavern now known as the Witch’s Kitchen, one of the largest unsupported rock domes in the world.

 

You can find out more about witches, wizards and magical practice at the Museum of Witchcraft, a small, yet extraordinary museum nestled next to the harbour in the picturesque Cornish fishing village of Boscastle, which houses the world’s largest collection of witchcraft related artefacts.

Ghostly Hauntings

With such a long and varied history it’s no surprise that tales of hauntings abound in England. Many pubs, like the Red Lion in Avebury, Wiltshire can claim an unexpected resident in the shape of a ghost. Apparitions seen here include a woman named Florrie who pays particular attention to bearded customers. The Black Horse, in the Kentish village of Pluckley, also has a phantom figure though this one prefers beer-drinkers: glasses containing other beverages are pushed contemptuously aside by an unseen hand. Pluckley, with at least a dozen resident ghosts, holds the dubious title of Britain’s most haunted village.

 

Watch out too for ghosts walking through walls and rocking the chairs at The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex as well as the ghost of the notorious smuggler Jack Travellis, who is said to haunt Jamaica Inn in Cornwall.

Several towns and cities run regular guided ghost walks including Canterbury and picturesque Bath, many of whose buildings and streets are believed to be haunted, including the Theatre Royal and the Royal Crescent.

Magical Folk

The small town of Glastonbury in Somerset has both religious and spiritual associations. According to legend, its ancient ruined abbey is the burial place of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Fairy folk have long been associated with the mysterious hill of Glastonbury Tor, purported to be the fairy Isle of Avalon. Legend has it that Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Fairies, established his court in the magical hollow of the Tor. The Chalice Well nestling in the valley between Glastonbury Tor and Chalice Hill, is also said to be the resting place of the Holy Grail, adding to the mystery.

Anyone familiar with the stories of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell will know that fairy folk are notoriously mischievous. Not all are pint-sized though. For example, elsewhere in Somerset, Creech Hill near Shepton Mallet, is said to be home to a mischievous spirit or ‘bulbegger’, a tall, gaunt hunch-shouldered apparition reputed to leap out and frighten lonely travellers!

 

There are also fairy folk aplenty at BeWILDerwood in Norfolk. This woodland playground is inhabited by Twiggles, Boggles and Crocklebogs, magical forest folk created by author Tom Blofeld, guaranteed to fire your children’s imaginations.

Steam Train Rides

Just as the Hogwarts Express whisks Harry and his friends away to school, so you can rediscover the magic of the age of steam on a journey on one of England’s lovingly restored steam railways – though sadly the platforms here are not invisible. One of the best is the West Somerset Railway which puffs through the beautiful countryside from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, stopping off at eight stations along the way. The beauty of this line is that there is so much to do at every stop – from visiting castles and abbeys to a cider farm and beautiful walks and beaches.

 

For another great steam experience, hop on board the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk’s longest narrow gauge heritage railway, linking the ancient market town of Aylsham and Wroxham, at the heart of the Norfolk Broads. Rolling fields are punctuated by stops at small country villages where you can disembark for a fine walk, while at Wroxham, you can hire bikes, explore the town, or take a short walk to the water’s edge for a stroll along the Broads.

Both of the above railways are dog-friendly too if you have your own Fang in tow!

Dragons and Mythical Beasts

If you go down to the woods today, Shervage Wood in Somerset, to be precise, you’ll find the final resting place of fire-breathing dragon, Gurt Worm. Slain and cut in two, his body is believed to form the two halves of the Quantock Hills in Somerset.

 

The windswept moors of South West England are also reputed to be home to a collection of mythical beasts including the Beast of Bodmin Moor, a phantom panther-like cat rumoured to roam the moors in search of livestock. A similar beast is said to plague Exmoor farmers. Numerous eyewitness reports and photographs perpetuate the legends.

 

British folklore is also riddled with tales of vengeful black dogs, one of best-known of which can be found in East Anglia. Black Shuck, famed for his blazing red devil-like eyes, is also a harbinger of bad luck and anyone unlucky enough to meet him should shield their gaze or die within the year. The most famous account recalls his appearance in the Suffolk church of Blythbugh in 1577 in which he burst through the doors in a great thunderstorm killing a man and a boy, and causing the steeple to collapse through the ceiling. He then departed in a fiery rage, leaving scorch marks on the door, still visible today.

Owls

Owls play an important role in the Harry Potter stories and the Small Breeds Farm and Owl Centre near Leominster houses one of the finest collections of owls in Europe. The Owl Garden here gives ample opportunities to observe them in an intimate setting, allowing even an average photographer to get a brilliant picture.

 

The Cotswold Falconry Centre is also a great place to come face to face with these beautiful birds. Housing around 150 birds of prey, admission here includes four different one hour free flying displays. Explore ‘Owl Wood’, where the birds can be seen in their natural habitat, with CCTV cameras allowing visitors to watch nests in spring; you can book a course too, from starter experiences to owl evenings and eagle days.

What else?

If you’re curious to experience some magical places in England for yourself, why not take a look at our range of self-catering holiday cottages? You can find your perfect pad just a flick of the wand away from these spellbinding sites. Just resist the temptation to invite a mystery guest…!