GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: London England, Harry Potter film sites London, Harry Potter, photography, photoessay
This is the snake cage at the London Zoo that was in a scene from the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the film, this cage held a Burmese boa constrictor. In real life, this cage holds a black mamba.
This is the third, and last, part of my Harry Potter film sites of London photoessays. As my featured image for this photoessay, I used this image of the London Zoo that was used in a scene in the first Harry Potter film where Harry was at the Little Whinging Zoo with his cousin, Dudley.
Little Whinging Zoo
The London Zoo commemorated the Harry Potter film with a special sign that hangs next to this snake enclosure. I thought I had taken a series of pictures of this sign, but cannot find them for some odd reason, so you are stuck looking at this one.
This is the sign next to the cage at the London Zoo that was in a scene from the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Train Station
When Harry Potter went with Hagrid to the train station for the first time after purchasing his books and other "bits and bobs" for his first year as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the train station he and Hagrid were in was the St. Pancras Train Station. The pedestrian bridge that they walked across is visible in the distance in this image, but alas, I did not photograph the footbridge when I walked across it because it was a trashed mess. Sadly, the bridge was slated for removal within a few days' time and is very likely gone, even as I write this.
This is the St. Pancras train station, which is next to Kings Cross tube station. This station was used as the train station in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone .. supposedly where Platform 9 3/4 was located too. In the background, you can see the bridge that Harry and Hagrid walked over on their way to Platform 9 3/4.
The facade of the St. Pancras Train Station was used as the backdrop in the scene in the second Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when he and Ron flew Ron's father's car to Hogwarts. The facade of this station was undergoing extensive renovation and was completely enshrouded in white plastic, making it resemble a gigantic mothball, so I did not photograph it, either.
The Ministry of Magic
The Westminster Tube Station was used as the Ministry of Magic in the fifth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I walked around this station for quite awhile, trying to find the place where the filming had occurred, but unlike all the other locations I went, nothing lept out at me as being immediately recognizable. After asking one of the employees at the station for directions to the film location, I still was unable to find anything that was recognizable. So instead, I photographed several sites inside the station in the hope that I might have photographed the correct one. This is one of those images.
This is one of many photographs I took of the Westminster Tube Station because it was used for several scenes in the fifth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I found it very difficult to recognize specifically where the filming had taken place, sorry about that!
12 Grimmauld Place (Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix)
This place was another example where I immediately felt that I knew the place, even though I had never seen it in real life before. The New Square is actually a legal community which is crammed with lawyers (solicitors) and their associates. Nevertheless, I still recognized the place immediately as 12 Grimmauld Place when I saw it.
Looking across the park towards New Square, which was used as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix in the fifth Harry Potter film.
This is a closer view of one of the buildings used as the facade for the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. There was a park across the street from these buildings, which was at my back when I snapped this image.
New Square, which was used as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix in the fifth Harry Potter film. At my back was the park surrounded by the tall iron fence.
I was charmed by this cute little house which actually is the gatekeeper's booth at New Square, so I photographed it to share with you. It never appeared in any of the Harry Potter films, but I liked it anyway, so here it is.
The gatekeeper's booth at New Square, where the scenes for the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix (12 Grimmauld Place) were filmed in the fifth Harry Potter film. This booth did not appear in the film, but I liked it, so I photographed it anyway.
When I spoke with the old gatekeeper in this booth, he seemed quite happy to tell me all about the filming of the Harry Potter movie on the grounds. If he thought my Quest was strange or silly, he never let on.
View Out the Windows of Harry's Room at the Leaky Cauldron
This is the official sign for the London Bridge. I especially liked the dragon, so I photographed it to share with you.
The official sign for the London Bridge, whose spires Harry could see from his window at the room he took at the Leaky Cauldron in the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
This is a view of the London Tower Bridge from a distance away. This is probably one of the most recognizable bridges in the world -- except for me, that is, since I misidentified it as London Bridge! (Oops. Well, I did walk across London Bridge at least twice when I was in London, for what that's worth!).
A distant view of London Tower Bridge, which I mistook for London Bridge, hahaha. Silly me.
A close up of one of the towers on the London Bridge. The reason I share this with you is because the spires were visible from the window of Harry's room in the Leaky Cauldron in the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
A close look at the spires of Tower Bridge, which closely resemble the spires of London Bridge that Harry could see from his window at the room he took at the Leaky Cauldron in the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (sorry about the misidentification; I htought this was London Bridge).
These are all of the film sites in London for the Harry Potter films. If you would like to view more of this story, here is Part Two (and Part One is linked from there).
I hope you enjoyed seeing these images and reading a little about my adventures as I looked for these places. My goal is to return to England for the Nature science blogging conference next year, so hopefully, I will be able to add some more images to the collection from film sites outside of London.
Humanities & Social Science
Education & Careers
Comments
That's Tower Bridge in the last two photographs. (Taken from London Bridge)
Posted by: Paul King | September 11, 2008 5:03 AM
Yep, London Bridge is the bridge you were standing on (with the 'London Bridge' sign on it). The distant bridge is Tower.
Posted by: Horwood Beer-Master | September 11, 2008 7:53 AM
"If he thought my Quest was strange or silly, he never let on."
Maybe I shouldn't say this, but a fair number of Brits seem to have strange or silly Quests of their own, which may be why it didn't faze him at all. Train spotters for some reason come to mind...
Posted by: DeafScientist | September 11, 2008 7:55 AM
London Bridge is actually in Arizona:
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/havasu.htm
Posted by: Ian | September 11, 2008 7:59 AM
Oh dear, another misidentification. The last photo is neither London Bridge, nor Tower Bridge, nor any bridge at all. It's Southwark Cathedral. We clearly have too many spires, pinnacles and steeples in this town.
Posted by: M@ | September 30, 2008 5:22 AM
Hate to tell you this, but the building you photographed as 12 grimmauld place is not the facade used in the movie. In the movie, the street level of the building has white fenestration. The brick occurs on the upper levels.
The facade used in the movie look very much like those seen on the north side of Tavistock Square in the Russell Square/Bloombury neighborhood.
Posted by: not telling | July 20, 2009 7:23 PM
I think it's absolutely hilarious that not only did you take a pic of Tower Bridge and mistake it for London Bridge, but you took this pic FROM London Bridge, and even got a big sign telling you you were standing on London Bridge in the picture.
You also have Grimmauld Place wrong. The actual location for that was Argyle Street, right by Kings Cross Station, which you have incorrectly labelled as St Pancras in your pic by the way.
Thanks for the laugh!
Posted by: Martine | September 28, 2009 2:15 AM