- Harry Potter fans forced the rerouting of a £430 million undersea power cable after discovering it would disturb a shrine to Dobby the House Elf.
- The Greenlink cable project was intended to connect County Wexford in Ireland to Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where Dobby's death scene was filmed.
- Fans have created a shrine to Dobby at Freshwater West beach, leaving painted stones and socks as tributes.
- In 2022, the National Trust allowed the shrine to remain but requested fans not to leave socks due to environmental concerns.
- Following a BBC interview, fans inundated project manager Etchea Energy with calls, leading to a reroute of the cable to avoid Dobby's grave.
- The project went live in 2025 and is now capable of powering 380,000 homes, with the cable rerouted near Bronze Age remains.
- Dobby's Grave has become a significant tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who leave tributes.
- Tourism in Pembrokeshire contributes an estimated £604 million (roughly $815 million) to the local economy.
Harry Potter fans have successfully influenced the rerouting of a £430 million power cable project to protect a shrine dedicated to Dobby the House Elf, located at Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where his death scene was filmed in *Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part One* (2010).1
The 190km Greenlink interconnector was initially planned to run through the site of Dobby's grave, prompting an outcry from fans who leave painted stones and socks as tributes. Simon Ludlam, CEO of Etchea Energy, revealed that the project received hundreds of calls from concerned fans after a BBC interview highlighted the original route.69
“Apparently, we’re going to go straight through Dobby’s grave,” Ludlam recalled, initially confused about the character's significance. After realizing the seriousness of the situation, he worked with planners to find a new route that avoided the shrine entirely.
“A lot of people were very happy about that, and the project is now going ahead and Dobby’s happy,” Ludlam joked. The project, which links the UK’s National Grid to Ireland, is now operational and can power 380,000 homes.78
Tourism at Freshwater West contributes significantly to the local economy, with an estimated £604 million generated annually and over 6 million visitors supporting local businesses. The National Trust, which manages the land, had previously urged fans to refrain from leaving souvenirs due to environmental concerns, but the shrine remains a popular destination for fans worldwide.510
Despite the rerouting, Ludlam noted that the cable now comes “quite close” to Bronze Age remains, highlighting the ongoing challenges of balancing development with cultural and environmental preservation.
“The cable now runs close to Bronze Age remains, including urns associated with human burial, after the reroute. Tourism in Pembrokeshire contributes an estimated £604 million to the local economy, with over 6 million visitors supporting 23% of local employment.”
Euronews
The Guardian
