Changes: West Country

Revision as of 14:41, 26 November 2015

The West Country is a region of south-western England, typically defined as including the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset, although Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire are often included.^[1]

Residents

The West Country appears to have a particularly heavy concentration of wizarding families, perhaps because it is considered a remote area of the United Kingdom by Muggle standards, allowing for easier adherence to the Statute of Secrecy.

The Burrow 02 — The Burrow, home of the Weasley family located in Devon

The village of Tinworth is located somewhere along the coast of Cornwall. A number of wizarding families live there, including Bill and Fleur Weasley, who reside in a house called Shell Cottage on the outskirts of town. The village of Ottery St. Catchpole is located in Devon. It is home to several wizarding families, including the: Diggories, Fawcetts, Lovegoods, and Weasleys.

Rubeus Hagrid was born in Gloucestershire (one of the counties that make up the West Country) near the Forest of Dean.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] After his expulsion from Hogwarts, Hagrid became gamekeeper at the school and moved into a hut on its grounds.

GodricHollow — Godric's Hollow, home to many wizarding families and the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor

Godric's Hollow with its large wizarding population is in the West Country, meaning the area was home to the: Dumbledores, Peverells, Potters, Bathilda Bagshot, and many others. It is also the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor. As the Sorting Hat once stated that Godric Gryffindor was from wild moor, Godric's Hollow is likely to be located in either Devon or Cornwall.

On his Chocolate Frog Card, Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle are said to be enjoying a quiet life in Devon, in the West Country.

The large number of wizarding residents has caused the West Country to be home to most of England's Quidditch teams; its wizarding population is large enough to require professional Quidditch pitches at both Bodmin Moor and Exmoor. The Falmouth Falcons, Chudley Cannons, Wimbourne Wasps, Puddlemere United, and Tutshill Tornados are West Country Quidditch teams — the only English Quidditch team not located in the West Country is the Appleby Arrows. All other British teams are in Scotland or Ireland or Wales

The hiding place where Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter find Horace Slughorn, a village called Budleigh Babberton, is also in the West Country.

History

The most famous episode in the life of Sir Cadogan — a friend of Merlin, wizard member of King Arthur's Round Table, and current resident of a Hogwarts painting — took place in the West Country during the Dark Ages. Sir Cadogan fought and barely defeated the Wyvern of Wye, leading to a West Country proverb still popular among elderly wizards, "I'll take Cadogan's pony," which means, "I'll salvage the best I can from a tricky situation."^[6]

In 1996, Death Eaters, with the help of one or more giants, devastated a wide area of the West Country, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs, and seriously injuring people. Initially, the Muggle Prime Minister attributed this damage to a hurricane, but he was later told its true cause during a meeting with recently ousted Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. In the aftermath of the disaster, the Ministry of Magic tried to bring the situation under control by having Obliviators modify the memories of Muggle eyewitnesses, The Office of Misinformation circulate cover stories (presumably to the Muggle media), and members of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures search Somerset for the giant.^[7]

Patronus doe — Severus Snape's Patronus guides Harry Potter to the location of Gryffindor's Sword in the Forest of Dean

In December 1997, during their hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger camped in the Forest of Dean. Severus Snape anonymously delivered Godric Gryffindor's Sword to Harry by placing it in a frozen lake in the forest and then using his Patronus to guide Harry to it. Ron Weasley, who had previously left Harry and Hermione, returned to them in the forest by way of his Deluminator. He pulled Harry from the lake, and then used the sword to destroy a Horcrux, Salazar Slytherin's Locket.

Behind the scenes

J. K. Rowling based the character of Rubeus Hagrid on a Hell's Angel that she knew from this area.^[8]
J. K. Rowling lived in the West Country as a child and teenager, in the towns of Winterbourne and Tutshill.
Interestingly, in the movie adaptations, none of the scenes set in the West Country was actually filmed in West Country locations. The Shell Cottage scenes were filmed in Pembrokeshire, Wales;^[9] the Budleigh Babberton scenes were filmed in Lacock, Wiltshire;^[10] the Godric's Hollow scenes were filmed in Lavenham, Suffolk;^[11] and all scenes around Ottery St. Catchpole and The Burrow were filmed either in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, or in Leavesden Studios outside London.^[12]

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ "West Country" on Wikipedia
↑ 1999 Scotland on Sunday article
↑ 1999 WBUR interview
↑ 2000 Blue Peter interview
↑ 2005 BBC Radio 4 interview
↑ Pottermore, Book 3, Chapter 6, Moment 1
↑ Half-Blood Prince, Ch. 1
↑ Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, Page 29
↑ "[1]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
↑ "[2]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
↑ "[3]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
↑ "[4]" see Harry Potter Wiki entry for The Burrow
↑ PS1 version.

[1] "West Country" on Wikipedia

[2] 1999 Scotland on Sunday article

[3] 1999 WBUR interview

[4] 2000 Blue Peter interview

[5] 2005 BBC Radio 4 interview

[6] Pottermore, Book 3, Chapter 6, Moment 1

[7] Half-Blood Prince, Ch. 1

[pts29-8] Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, Page 29

[9] "[1]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

[10] "[2]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[11] "[3]" IMDB for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

[12] "[4]" see Harry Potter Wiki entry for The Burrow

[13] PS1 version.

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@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 [[File:The Burrow 02.png|left|thumb|235x235px|The[[The Burrow| Burrow]], home of the Weasley family located in [[Devon]]]]
 The village of [[Tinworth]] is located somewhere along the coast of [[Cornwall]]. A number of wizarding families live there, including [[William Weasley|Bill]] and [[Fleur Delacour|Fleur Weasley]], who reside in a house called [[Shell Cottage]] on the outskirts of town.
-The village of [[Ottery St. Catchpole]] is located in Devon. It is home to several wizarding families, including the: [[Diggory family|Diggories]], [[Fawcett family|Fawcetts]], [[Lovegood family|Lovegoods]], and  [[Weasley family|Weasleys]].
+The village of [[Ottery St. Catchpole]] is located in Devon. It is home to several wizarding families, including the: [[Diggory family|Diggories]], [[Fawcett family|Fawcetts]], [[Lovegood family|Lovegoods]], and [[Weasley family|Weasleys]].
 [[Rubeus Hagrid]] was born in Gloucestershire (one of the counties that make up the West Country) near the [[Forest of Dean]].<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/0199-scotlandsunday-goring.html 1999 ''Scotland on Sunday'' article]</ref><ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/1099-connectiontransc2.htm 1999 WBUR interview]</ref><ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/0301-bluepeter.htm 2000 Blue Peter interview]</ref><ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/1205-bbc-fry.html 2005 BBC Radio 4 interview]</ref> After his expulsion from [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], Hagrid became [[Keeper of Keys and Grounds|gamekeeper]] at the school and moved into a [[Rubeus Hagrid's cabin|hut]] on its grounds.
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 On his [[Chocolate Frog Card]], [[Nicolas Flamel]] and his wife [[Perenelle Flamel|Perenelle]] are said to be enjoying a quiet life in Devon, in the West Country.
 The large number of wizarding residents has caused the West Country to be home to most of England's [[Quidditch]] teams; its wizarding population is large enough to require professional Quidditch pitches at both [[Bodmin Moor]] and [[Exmoor]]. The [[Falmouth Falcons]], [[Chudley Cannons]], [[Wimbourne Wasps]], [[Puddlemere United]], and [[Tutshill Tornados]] are West Country Quidditch teams — the only English Quidditch team not located in the West Country is the [[Appleby Arrows]]. All other British teams are in [[Scotland]] or [[Ireland]] or [[Wales]]
 The hiding place where [[Albus Dumbledore]] and [[Harry Potter]] find [[Horace Slughorn]], a village called [[Budleigh Babberton]], is also in the West Country.