Godric’s Hollow Filming Location – Lavenham, Suffolk

Ever wondered where the Godric’s Hollow filming location is? Keep reading to find out more about the tiny medieval town of Lavenham in Suffolk, aka Godric’s Hollow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Godric’s Hollow is a fictional town in the Harry Potter series where many notable wizards have resided over the years. From Godric Gryffindor to the Dumbledores, many a famous wizard called this village in West England home.

The Potters also lived in Godric’s Hollow and it’s where Harry’s parents were murdered, Voldemort met his (first) downfall and Harry gained his famous scar.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 film, Harry and Hermione head to Godric’s Hollow before Christmas to seek out Bathilda Bagshot. The pair have been seeking a weapon to destroy the horcruxes and believe that Bathilda Bagshot might be in possession of the sword of Gryffindor.

They arrive in a quaint and snowy village on Christmas Eve and, for the first time, Harry sees his destroyed childhood home.

Cottages stood on either side of the narrow road, Christmas decorations twinkling in their windows. A short way ahead of them, a glow of golden streetlights indicated the centre of the village.

Chapter 16, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The homes here are all slightly wonky with distinctive medieval timber framing decorating each house. And it’s in the real village of Lavenham, Suffolk, Harry Potter fans will find these buildings.

It’s important to note that whilst Lavenham is known as one of the Harry Potter – Deathly Hallows Part 1 locations, the cast of Harry Potter never actually came here.

Instead, the film crew came in great secrecy in 2010 and filmed some shots of the distinctive half-timbered homes. The film producers then used these shots to artificially stitch together the village of Godric’s Hollow.

Actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson filmed the Godric’s Hollow scenes in a film studio and green screens were used to place them in the constructed video footage that had been first shot of Lavenham.

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If you’re new here, hi! I’m Laura – a dreamer at heart who’d happily trade reality for a good fantasy world. Until that’s possible, I go on real-life adventures inspired by my favourite books and films. From magical castles to dusty libraries, I love exploring the places that bring the stories I adore to life – and sharing them here with you. Follow along at @whatshotblog (IG/TT) for my latest adventures.

Godric’s Hollow Filming Location

So where exactly in Lavenham is the Godric’s Hollow filming location?

There are two key Harry Potter locations in Lavenham and they are the Guildhall and De Vere House.

De Vere House

Serious Potter fans may remember that the “Potter’s family home” was put up for sale a few years ago. That was De Vere House in Lavenham.

It’s a beautiful 15th century medieval home in a distinctive bright orange colour with timber frames all over the outside. It was once a bed and breakfast hotel but is now a couple’s home.

Fortunately for fans, they are happy to rent rooms out on Airbnb and so you can still come and stay here and pretend you are a guest of the Potters.

In fact, after being put up for sale in 2017, there was so much interest in the Airbnb that the couple decided to take their property off the market.

Check availability and latest prices for De Vere House on Airbnb.

It’s said that De Vere House has the second most photographed doorway in the whole of the UK, coming second only to number 10 Downing Street.

I can believe this having spent quite a bit of time taking photographs outside the door myself!

You can read a few words by the owners about the Harry Potter connection with De Vere House on the Daily Mail here.

Guildhall

As well as De Vere House, shots of Lavenham’s impressive Guildhall building were part of the CGI mash-up to create Godric’s Hollow.

Guildhall is a Grade I listed building that was built way back in 1529. It is seen as one of the finest timber-framed buildings in Britain and you could totally believe it had been transported straight from medieval England.

In that period, Lavenham was one of the wealthiest settlements in England, which explains its beautiful and ornate buildings.

The Potter’s family home was white with light timber frames so you can see how Guildhall served as inspiration for the artificial Godric’s Hollow in the seventh Harry Potter film.

Guildhall is considerably less wonky in real life than the Potter’s home was in the films and thankfully its roof is still intact but the similarities are clear!

He could see it; the Fidelius Charm must have died with James and Lily. The hedge had grown wild in the sixteen years since Hagrid had taken Harry from the rubble that lay scattered amongst the waist-high grass. Most of the cottage was still standing, though entirely covered in the dark ivy and snow, but the right side of the top floor had been blown apart; that, Harry was sure, was where the curse had backfired. He and Hermione stood at the gate, gazing up at the wreck of what must once have been a cottage just like those that flanked it.

Chapter 17, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Today, Lavenham Guildhall is a National Trust property and open to the public as a local history museum so if you’ve got a bit of time you can wander in and explore the interiors too.

How to Get to Lavenham

By Train

The nearest train station to Lavenham is Sudbury. If travelling from London, you can get the train from Liverpool Street to Sudbury in just under 1.5 hours.

From there, you can either take a bus or a taxi to Lavenham. I’d recommend taking a taxi since it’s only around 15 mins away by taxi but almost 40 minutes via a winding bus route.

By Car

Lavenham is close to the A134 and fairly easy to reach by car. If you’re travelling from London, it takes just over 2 hours to get there by car.

There’s free parking in the centre of Lavenham, right outside the Guildhall and as long as you get there early, you should be able to bag a spot.

Where to Stay in Lavenham

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For more Harry Potter filming locations and posts, check out these articles:
Harry Potter Locations in London
Harry Potter Locations in Oxford
Harry Potter Locations in Lacock
Harry Potter in Edinburgh
Harry Potter Weekend in London
Harry Potter in York
Guide to the Harry Potter Studio Tour