Harry Potter fans asked to stop leaving socks at "Dobby's grave"

Freshwater West, UK - Fans of the Harry Potter series have been flocking to the grave site of fan favorite character Dobby for years, but now the gifts left for the fictional creature are causing problems for the environment.

Harry Potter fans have been asked by local officials to quit leaving socks at the grave site of the fictional character Dobby at Freshwater Beach in Wales.
Harry Potter fans have been asked by local officials to quit leaving socks at the grave site of the fictional character Dobby at Freshwater Beach in Wales.  © IMAGO / Cinema Publishers Collection

The Welsh beach of Freshwater West was the shooting location for Dobby's death scene in the 2010 movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

The beach location has since become a tourist attraction for fans across the world to visit and leave tributes to the beloved character at a memorial.

But having completed an eight-month review of the site, National Trust Wales, raised concerns were raised in the review about how "items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk."

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The governing body of protected sites decided to keep the memorial standing, but is urging visitors "to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape."

"While we’re delighted that so many want to visit, we have to balance the popularity of the site with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider environment, and pressure on the facilities and surrounding roads," said Jonathan Hughes, an official with National Trust Wales.

Dobby was freed after Harry Potter tricked the house elf's mater, Lucius Malfoy, into gifting Dobby an old sock.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Cinema Publishers Collection

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