Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew: step into another world
In Manchester, the ordinary can feel surprisingly close to the extraordinary. Parts of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew were filmed around Castlefield, the oldest part of Manchester, whose canals and industrial architecture were transformed into a 1950s setting for the film. Today, visitors can explore the same atmospheric waterways, where red-brick warehouses, historic bridges, and canal boats reveal a very real industrial story of their own.
For a different perspective, head up to Castlefield Viaduct, and discover a secret garden high above the city. This 330-metre-long Grade II-listed Victorian railway viaduct was reinvented as a sky garden in 2022, with lush planting and views stretching across canals and rooftops below.
Book lovers should make time for a tour of Chetham’s Library, Britain’s oldest public library founded in 1653 and housed in a medieval building, where centuries-old books and timber-framed interiors provide an atmospheric backdrop for any aspiring wardrobe explorer. Afterwards, follow Manchester’s food trail on a Secret Food Tour, browse independent traders at Altrincham Market or settle in at Diecast Food Hall for street food and a spot of people watching.
Then head to Bradford (around one hour by car), City of Culture 2025 and UNESCO City of Film. Little Germany, in central Bradford, with its grand Victorian buildings and ornate stonework, was transformed into post-war London for The Magician’s Nephew. In winter, its atmospheric streets and historic architecture make an evocative backdrop to a city break. Nearby, catch a show at Bradford Live, the city’s newest live music and entertainment venue, or browse the stalls at Darley Street Market.
Harry Potter: a magical journey through Yorkshire
As the new Harry Potter TV series brings J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world back to screens from Christmas Day 2026, Yorkshire offers plenty of ways to step into the story. Explore the stone-built villages of Grassington and Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales, journey through the countryside aboard a heritage railway.
Near Skipton, the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway winds through the Yorkshire Dales, with first-class experiences including afternoon tea and traditional railway dining. Watch the winter scenery unfold from the carriage window as the train passes through the valley. For an even more direct connection to the films, head to Goathland Station, which was transformed into Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The station sits on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where visitors can explore the historic platform before continuing through the North York Moors with heather-covered hills and open moorland.
Further south, the striking limestone landscape of Malham Cove featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, when Harry and Hermione camp among the rocks during their search for Horcruxes. The enormous cliff rises above the Yorkshire Dales, with winding paths offering plenty of opportunities to explore the landscape on foot.
For a slower countryside escape, Dovecote Barns Luxury Cottages near York offers a rural base from which to explore Yorkshire’s villages, landscapes and historic sites. And when darkness falls, the Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival (5 to 21 February 2027) offers a magical winter experience, with stargazing, night walks, astrophotography and even canoeing in the dark.
Star Wars: from a galaxy far, far away to Britain’s own otherworldly landscapes
A long time ago – well, 50 years, to be precise – Star Wars first whisked audiences to a galaxy far, far away. This February, the original film returns to cinemas for anniversary celebrations, while Newcastle’s Life Science Centre will mark the occasion with The Force of the Story, a major new exhibition opening in February 2027. Bringing together a private collection of Star Wars costumes, memorabilia and artefacts, the exhibition explores the connections between science fiction, space exploration and the real-world science that helped inspire the films.
But you don’t need a Millennium Falcon or even the Force to find otherworldly landscapes in Britain. From the misty waters of the Lake District to the ancient woodland of the Wye Valley, these cinematic landscapes have already had their moment in the Star Wars universe – and they’re considerably closer than Tatooine.
In the Lake District, the still waters of Derwentwater in Keswick and its rugged fells appeared as the planet Takodana in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Come winter, the landscape takes on an otherworldly quality of its own, when mist drifts across the fells and the dark silhouettes of the mountains shimmer in the lake’s surface. Take in the scenery from the water with Another Place, Ullswater, where wild swimming, kayaking and stargazing offer different ways to experience the landscape, or retreat to Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, set among woodland and a deer park beside Bassenthwaite Lake. For a cosier countryside stay, Cedar Manor in Windermere is a peaceful base for exploring the surrounding fells and lakes.
Beyond the lakes, there’s plenty more to discover. In Keswick, walk among the ancient stones of Castlerigg Stone Circle, built in the late Neolithic period, explore the historic interiors and gardens of Dalemain House, home of the renowned Dalemain World Marmalade Awards, or step into the literary world of Dove Cottage, the former home of Romantic poet William Wordsworth. After dark, swap solid ground for open water with Dark Sky Canoeing on Coniston Water with Path to Adventure paddling beneath a sky filled with stars.
Further south, Puzzlewood in the Wye Valley was also used for The Force Awakens. Follow its twisting paths through ancient, gnarled trees, past moss-covered rocks and fern-filled hollows. In winter, dim light filters through the woodland and mist can gather among the trees, transforming the Forest of Dean into a landscape that feels more like an unexplored corner of the galaxy than an English woodland. No lightsabers required!