Filming of Harry Potter is ‘massive’ for Devon and Cornwall

People around the South West have said the production of a new Harry Potter TV series is “absolutely massive” for the region.

The new HBO show, based on JK Rowling’s best-selling series of novels, has been filming in Devon and Cornwall at places including Cadgwith and Carnglaze Caverns.

Terry Burton went to Kynance Cove to take some pictures of the film crew and said the new series “is going to be fantastic… something like this is absolutely massive for Cornwall.”

Luke Smith, who runs The Cleave Inn in Lustleigh near Bovey Tracey, said the pub would be shut for filming on Wednesday and Thursday, but the only information he had was the production’s code name of ‘brown cat’.

Mr Smith said the village had seen a “lot of security” and road closures while filming has been taking place.

“There is a real buzz around the village. It is a sleepy village in Lustleigh,” he added.

“We know it as ‘brown cat’… that’s all we’ve been told.”

Mr Smith said footfall had increased while the production team had been in the area.

“We’ve seen one of the busiest weekends,” he said.

“If it can increase people coming to us, it can only be a good thing in our eyes.”

Mark Dowdeswell owns Swish and Flick, a Harry Potter gift shop in Axminster and said those involved in the production were “very tight-lipped”.

“Devon already has a lot of links with the Potter-world,” he said.

“A lot of the place names in the Potter books, like Budleigh-Babberton, is obviously Budleigh Salterton.

“I think she (JK Rowling) used a lot Devon influences when she was writing originally.”

Lucy Farmer, who owns a Hagrid-style Airbnb in Cornwall, said she hoped John Lithgow would do a good job in playing Albus Dumbledore.

Ms Farmer said her Hogwarts-inspired hut had attracted visitors from all over the world, including Australia.

She said she was “very excited” for the new series.

“We loved Richard Harris as Dumbledore and then, sadly, he passed away,” she said.

“Michael Gambon did a very good job in taking over… I’m hoping John Lithgow will do the same.”

HBO announced the young actors who will play the lead trio in its TV series adaption of JK Rowling’s book series, Harry Potter, earlier this year.

Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout have been cast as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

The series is expected to launch in 2027.