Explore the Hogwarts Bridge
The Hogwarts Bridge was first seen on-screen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and made its final appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 when it was destroyed by Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan during the explosive Battle of Hogwarts.
Designing the Bridge
Throughout the Harry Potter film series, the Hogwarts Bridge extends from the Hogwarts Clock Tower all the way to the stone circle on the way to Hagrid’s Hut, featuring a gothic design closely tied to Hogwarts and fitting the Scottish landscape surrounding the Hogwarts Castle. For filming, 200 feet of the Hogwarts Bridge was created using visual effects, but a section was also physically built.
Constructing the Bridge
Despite originally planning to build this section of the bridge at the Studios in Leavesden, Director Alfonso Cuarón requested that a section of the set was shot on location in Scotland, and filmmakers soon found themselves constructing a 50-foot-long, solid steel structure to be lifted by helicopter. Unpredictable weather conditions did, however, make filming more difficult as the crew could only work on the rickety bridge on days when the weather was nice.
The constructed section of the bridge returned to Leavesden after filming had finished and now stands in the Backlot midway through the Studio Tour. Follow in the footsteps of the cast and explore the Hogwarts Bridge for yourself…