In all the Harry Potter movies, no death hit home quite like that of the loveable House-elf Dobby. In real life, following the fictional character’s demise, a memorial grave site for the character’s death was created and now sits on a beach in Wales. And despite some environmental concerns, the memorial will stay in place.
The Dobby grave site in question sits above Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire – which is where the Harry Potter character‘s death was filmed for the 2010 movie Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows part 1. Due to concerns caused by high visitor numbers and pollution to the environmentally sensitive beach, a survey for the mock grave’s possible relocation was conducted.
Luckily for fans, the results are in, and a consultation by National Trust Wales, which manages the beach, concluded that Dobby’s grave can stay “in the immediate term”.
“Based on the consultation results,” National Trust said, “the memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy”. However, the trust went on to express how the pollution concerns caused by fantasy movie fans haven’t been overlooked and asked visitors to be mindful of the beach during their visits to the tribute.
“The trust is asking visitors to only take photos,” it said. “Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk.”
In the Harry Potter movies, Dobby was given a sock which marked his freedom as a slave and House-elf to the Harry Potter villain Lucius Malfoy. While leaving socks at the site to reference this moment in the character’s life seems like a great idea on paper, the beach where the grave sits is a legally protected conservation area.
Plenty of wildlife could be affected by these trinkets and movie references – so yeah, if you are planning on visiting Dobby’s grave, keep your socks on your feet, friends.
“Freshwater West is a much-loved coastal site, and over time, its beauty, expansive beach, good surf and Hollywood filming credentials have seen it become increasingly popular,” said the trust’s assistant director of operations in south Wales, Jonathan Hughes, via BBC.
“We have to balance the popularity of the site with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider environment, and pressure on the facilities and surrounding roads,” he continued.
The trust will be adding charges to the carpark to fund the expansion of its facilities to accommodate the rise in beach visitors – which regularly exceeds capacity with more than 75,0000 visitors a year.
If you are a fan of the Wizarding World, here is our guide to the Harry Potter cast.