Britain’s favorite filming locations revealed – and Harry Potter fans won’t be surprised at what tops the rankings…
The Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands has been voted Britain’s best film location by holidaymakers.
Since its debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002, the railway attraction has become inextricably linked to the magical films.
The film starred in two more films in the franchise and is known to millions as ‘The Harry Potter Bridge’. Many fans have been inspired to pay tribute – and in 2023 there was one record breaking number of visitors.
The immense curved structure with 21 arches and a height of 30 meters on the Fort William – Mallaig line has topped a ranking of the country’s favorite film locations, compiled by Virgin media 02 from a survey of 2,000 British adults.
Second on the list is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, a Jacobethan-style country house and the location for several films and TV series, including Downton Abbey.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct (pictured) tops Virgin Media’s ranking of Britain’s favorite filming locations
Since its debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (above) in 2002, the immense curved structure of 21 arches and 30 meters high has become inextricably linked to the magical films
Glenfinnan Viaduct is on the Fort William to Mallaig line
Above is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the setting of Downton Abbey, which is ranked second in Virgin Media’s rankings
In third place is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, better known to some as the residence of Mr Darcy in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
The Notting Hill Bookstore ranks fourth on the list, likely due to his performance in Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts
Although the inside of the store did not appear in the 1999 rom-com, the interior was recreated as a setting, and decades later the place is often busy with tourists.
Honeysuckle Cottage in Surrey, the inspiration for the cottage in the film ‘The Holiday’, in which Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz swapped homes over the Christmas holidays, is fifth on the list.
Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the location of period drama Pride and Prejudice, comes in third
The Notting Hill Bookshop, which inspired the bookstore in Notting Hill, is often busy with tourists and ranks fourth on Virgin Media’s list
In sixth place is the Royal Liver Building in Pier Head, Liverpool, a historic landmark that was recently transformed into the Gotham City Police Department, in Batman.
The Duke of Albany in New Cross, London, is in seventh place. This former grand pub appeared in the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead, starring Simon Pegg.
St Ann’s in Nottingham, one of the locations in ‘This is England’, is in eighth place and Piccadilly Circus in London, which has featured in countless films from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Trainspotting, is in ninth place.
Finally, in tenth place is another Derbyshire location, Kedleston Hall – the main filming location for The Duchess, a period drama starring Keira Knightley.
The research also shows that visiting film locations is an important driver of tourism. One in four Brits (26 percent) admit they would rather plan a trip to a film location than visit a relative or friend.
Social media appears to be playing an increasingly important role in influencing the locations people travel to, with 28 percent of Brits more likely to be influenced by a trip they saw on social media than a recommendation from a friend (23 percent ) .
The Royal Liver Building in Pier Head, Liverpool (sixth), also served as a filming location for 2022’s Batman
London’s legendary Piccadilly Circus has featured in many famous films and ranks ninth on the list
Once on their cinematic pilgrimage, 79 percent of Brits reveal they document their travels by taking photos, while 21 percent go further by recreating a scene from a film.
Some Brits are willing to go a step further, perhaps too far, to get the perfect photo. Nearly one in ten (nine percent) of men surveyed are even willing to risk being fined.
Google Trends’ findings also show that searches for “movie locations” have increased dramatically over the past five years around the holidays, likely because people wanted to visit the locations of their favorite Christmas classics.