Erected by fans of the saga, Dobby’s character’s grave on Freshwater West beach in Wales is overrun with socks. To the point of harming the environment and endangering the fauna of the beach.
You may not know it (unless you’re a hardcore Harry Potter fan of course…), but the tomb of Dobby, the saga’s house-elf, really exists. It is located on Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The place was used for the filming of the last two films.
In the franchise, for the record, Dobby is freed from his master, Lucius Malfoy, after receiving a sock by accident. During the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1 in the cinema), Dobby dies in Harry’s arms before being buried on a beach.
To pay homage to him, inconsolable fans erected a grave on the site where the scene was shot, and placed socks and various trinkets in memory of the endearing character.
A nice initial intention, but in fact become very problematic. On November 3, the New York Times echoed the cry of alarm launched by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest, British non-profit association founded with the aim of conserving and enhancing monuments and sites of collective interest in the United Kingdom.
Pattern ? Too much frequentation of the site, combined with the risks to the environment and wildlife posed by these polluting socks and trinkets. “Socks, trinkets and painted pebbles enter the marine environment, disrupt the food chain and endanger wildlife” worries the organization, which sees 75,000 pilgrim visitors landing on the site each year.
“While we are delighted that so many people want to visit this place, we must balance the popularity of the site with the impacts on the surrounding nature, the pressure on the facilities and the nearby roads.
If there is currently no question of moving the Dobby memorial, the National Trust urges fans to favor photos rather than leaving a souvenir on it:
“Dobby’s memorial will remain in Freshwater West for the immediate future for people to enjoy. We ask that visitors only take photos when visiting the memorial, to help protect the grounds.”
On the Wizarding World Instagram account, the announcement was made four days ago, and was rather well received. Some offering to offer, for example, socks to people in need. It’s always better than virtual.