Potterheads have come together to force a multi-million dollar international power line to change course after they learnt it would pass right through Dobby’s grave in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The $581 million Greenlink interconnector, linking the UK to Ireland in an effort to share excess renewable energy, was set to pass through the beachside memorial to the fandom’s favourite house elf, which was built on the site where his death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 was filmed.
The site has since become one of pilgrimage; fans come from far and wide to leave stones carrying messages to honour the elf’s sacrifice — they used to leave socks as well, but environmental authorities have since asked them not to.
Project manager Simon Ludlam, who had appeared in an interview with the BBC that led to the ensuing outrage from Harry Potter fans, said he and his team received “hundreds of calls”.
A befuddled Ludlam didn’t initially get what all the fuss was about. When a colleague explained what was going on, he said, “He’s a fictitious character in a fictitious book, the whole thing is fictitious, what are you talking about?”
The project manager was informed the matter was “very very serious”.
After discussions on “exactly how to reroute the cable so we wouldn’t go anywhere close to Dobby’s grave”, the project is now moving ahead, Ludlam said.
However, the new route comes “quite close” to a possible Bronze-age burial site, the manager said. The archaeological find, possibly containing human remains, was highlighted in planning documents from local authorities.
A report from the Pembrokeshire council said archaeological trenches dug near the route of the underground cable “contained the rim of an inverted pottery vessel whose fabric suggests a Bronze Age collared urn circa 1700-1500BC, typically associated with human burial”.
But locals have much to gain from the decision, as 20-year-old Jack Nicholas told CNN , “Dobby’s Grave brings tourists from all around the world down to one of Pembrokeshire’s most impressive beaches. The memorial has rocks from places such as Italy, Australia and South Africa, showing how far people travel to see Dobby’s Grave.
“Tourism is one of the most important industries in Pembrokeshire, and all of the visitors will contribute to the local businesses,” he said.
Tourism in Pembrokeshire contributes an estimated $815m to the local economy, with more than six million visitors supporting 23 per cent of all local employment, according to Pembrokeshire County Council.
Cover photo: Harry Potter/Warner Bros
