A fan-made memorial dedicated to Dobby, the house elf in the Harry Potter franchise, has been given permission to stay on an environmentally sensitive beach.
‘Potterheads’ erected a mock memorial for Dobby in Pembrokeshire, Wales, after the character died in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
The memorial is above Freshwater West beach, where the fictional elf’s death scene was filmed more than a decade ago.
Over the years, tens of thousands of fans have flocked to the area to pay their respects and leave painted stones, trinkets and socks in honour of the character.
However, with the beach also home to large grey seals, harbour porpoises and seabirds, the memorial has prompted environmental concerns in recent years.
The Welsh National Trust recently consulted locals on the memorial, asking them if they think it should stay, or be relocated to another area.
After reading responses from nearly 5000 locals, the Trust has determined the memorial can stay where it is.
“Based on the consultation results, the memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy,” the Trust announced on Monday.
However, the Trust asked tourists to stop adding to the growing memorial, and to refrain from leaving items behind.
“The Trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape. Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk,” the statement said.
In the franchise, house elves can only be freed if they are given clothes, hence the countless socks left at the character’s memorial.
In the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dobby is freed from serving the Malfoy family when Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into giving the elf a sock.
The Trust has made more plans to make the site more accessible for Harry Potter fans, while ensuring minimal impact to the environment.
In response to the area’s enduring popularity, the Trust will start charging fees at the location’s car park, and introduce an overflow car park at a nearby farm.
The money raised from the car park will “enable us to continue to carry out important conservation work at Freshwater West,” said the Trust’s assistant director of operations in south Wales, Jonathan Hughes.
The scenes that inspired the memorial
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