Stunning New Opening at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.”

With these two sentences, the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone book began and a cultural phenomenon was born. No one could have predicted it – and the Dursleys didn’t know just how strange things would get. Harry Potter’s aunt and uncle would not approve of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, as it’s overflowing with Potter paraphernalia.

For Potter fans, however, there are few places that generate as much excitement, because this is where much of the film series was shot. The films were being made while J.K. Rowling was still writing the books, so props and sets were kept at Leavesden in case they were needed later. When filming wrapped in 2010, efforts began to preserve this haul: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter opened in 2012.

After seven magical years, the tour has just been expanded to include Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Walk through the banking hall, with its marble pillars and crystal chandeliers, before exploring the treasure-filled Lestrange vault. See costumes, goblin prosthetics and piles of galleons, sickles and knuts. It’s the biggest expansion to date and incorporates a new entrance hall as well as a café, which serves food inspired by the world of Harry Potter. Whether or not you’re a Harry Potter obsessive, the elaborate Studio Tour is hugely enjoyable.

It begins with a video that tells the story of the books and the films, which is played on a large screen that opens to reveal the Great Hall set. Hogwarts Castle is here too which, at its pinnacle, is four times taller than an adult. The detailed model measures approximately 15m (50ft) across – the length of one-and-a-half London buses.

The Studio Tour is open from early until late every day and it’s essential to book tickets. It’s incredibly popular, but it is possible to purchase last-minute tickets: the website’s ticket availability is 100 percent live, which means that you can find last-minute cancellations, even if you’re checking in the morning for later that same day. You can jump on a train from Euston to Watford Junction and catch a shuttle bus to the Studio Tour, or book a bus from central London direct with operators such as Golden Tours.

In 2017, which new West End play was awarded the most gongs ever in the history of the Olivier Awards? There are no prizes for guessing this one: the eighth story in the Harry Potter series was written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany and plays at the huge Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. The play is split into two parts, which you can either see during a full day, or across two consecutive evenings. The time flies by because this show, set 19 years after the end of The Deathly Hallows, is truly extraordinary. There’s also the chance to get last-minute returns, while 40 tickets for every performance are released one week in advance on a Friday, for £40 per person. www.harrypottertheplay.com

Close to the Palace Theatre is the House of MinaLima. This gallery and shop at 26 Greek Street showcases the work of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima. This design duo has spent years creating art for both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series. Their work fills four floors, making it a dream come true for Potter souvenir hunters. It’s free to enter and open every day from noon. Given its close proximity to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it can get busy, so the House recommends avoiding early evenings on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. www.store.minalima.com

You’ll find the mythical Hogwarts Express platform entrance near one of King’s Cross Station’s northernmost exits, where you’ll join an excitable queue of wizarding fanatics. There’s a Potter shop and staff on hand who will take a professional photo of you with the trolley, as well as provide

Hogwarts props for the picture. If you’re hoping to beat the queue, the best time to arrive is between 8am and 10am on a weekday, or you could visit the site to book the queue-skipping VIP package. Fun fact: Warwick Davis, who played both Professor Flitwick and the Gringotts goblin Griphook in the films, cut the ribbon during the shop’s opening ceremony. www.harrypotterplatform934.com

In the film version of the penultimate book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort unleashes Death Eaters in full destruction mode on to the streets of London. The Millennium Bridge is rocked from side to side by the swirling baddies, creating an image that’s reminiscent of a real-life episode that temporarily closed the bridge shortly after it opened in 2000. In the movie, however, the bridge eventually collapses into the Thames. Connecting Tate Modern art gallery with the north bank, the bridge provides a beautiful view of St Paul’s Cathedral as you cross – look out for the tiny, colourful artworks that have been painted on to discarded blobs of chewing gum stuck to the bridge’s surface. www.fosterandpartners.com

Once the heart of Roman London, this ornate and majestic structure was founded in the 1300s as a meat market. Fast-forward to 2019 and you’ll find boutiques, restaurants, wine bars and a pub – and perhaps a faint whiff of magic. It was a film location for the first Potter film from 2000-2001, becoming the final piece of Muggle territory before Harry stepped into Diagon Alley and discovered a whole new world. Head to Glass House Opticians on Bull’s Head Passage: its entrance was used as the door of the Leaky Cauldron pub, the gateway to Diagon Alley. www.leadenhallmarket.co.uk