Let’s visit Harry Potter’s HOGWARTS LIBRARY in Oxford | Duke Humfrey’s Library at the Bodleian! ✨📚

This one's for the Harry Potter fans. Did you know that you can visit Hogwarts Library in Oxford? It's called Duke Humphrey's Library and it's where they filmed Hogwarts Library in the Philosopher's Stone. Access is only granted for a private tour and I'm going to take you with me today. Let's go! Back to another video, my name is Sophie from Third Eye Traveller and today I'm here in Oxford and I'm really excited because I'm going to be going into Hogwarts Library. That's right, they filmed Hogwarts Library in the Bodleian which is in Oxford and you can take a tour to see Duke Humphrey's Library which is inside the Bodleian and it's a private library that only students usually can access. You can go on a tour to see the library and you can take some photos and so they filmed the Hogwarts Library and the Hogwarts Restricted section in here and so yeah let's go on a tour of this incredible library. I can't wait to take you with me. So yes, Duke Humphrey's Library or Hogwarts Library is in Oxford and it forms part of the Bodleian Libraries. It's also known as the Bodleian Old Library and it's one of the oldest reading rooms in all of Europe and it was founded in the 15th century. Today it's still a working library that is open for students and readers alike but you have to take a sacred oath in order to read any of the books. Even if you're not a sworn member you can still visit this incredible book trove as it's part of a Bodleian Library tour and Harry Potter fans will love visiting this library as it featured as a filming location for Hogwarts Library including the restricted sections in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. That's right, the production crew used the Bodleian Libraries for the Hogwarts Library and the restricted section scenes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This is where Harry Potter sneaks in with his invisibility cloak during the Christmas holidays. He enters the restricted section at night time to look for information on Nicholas Flamel and his connection to the Philosopher's Stone and when you enter this magical library it really does feel like you've stepped into a part of Hogwarts so it's a must visit for any Harry Potter fan visiting Oxford. It's really hard to describe the smell as soon as you go in here but honestly it smells like magic, like leather bound books and parchment, you cannot beat it. For those history fans out there this incredible historic library is named after Humphrey of Lancaster, the first Duke of Gloucester and he was the youngest son of King Henry IV. He was an avid collector of books and maps and had many classical works of Greek and Latin translated into English and when he died in 1447 he donated his entire collection of 281 books to the University of Oxford. This was a huge donation to the university as at the time they only had 20 books in their collection. You have to think that this was a time before the Gutenberg Press so many books were handmade and hand-painted and they were very expensive and most were only owned by the rich and people of status. A lot of the library was destroyed during the Reformation due to references of Roman Catholicism but it was eventually restored in 1598 by Sir Thomas Bodley. The library used to serve as a reading room for maps, music and rare books but after the introduction of the Western Library or the new Bodleian Library it only serves as an additional reading room today. It's now one of the oldest reading rooms you can find in all of Europe and an important historical archive of knowledge. It may surprise you to know that anyone is welcome to become a member of the Bodleian Library and use their books but to do that you must recite the Bodleian Oath during a sacred ceremony. It's a promise that every reader is required to read out loud on seeking admission to the Bodleian Libraries and essentially this promise is to not remove anything from the library or to destroy any of the books. Most of these books are changed to bookshelves and alarmed and you have to have security to help you remove them so a lot of people just use this space as a reading room. They even have USB and plug sockets in between the bookshelves. No food or drink is allowed in the reading rooms, even water and you may even be asked to wear Now Harry Potter isn't the only production that used Duke Humphrey's library as a filming location with a magical theme. You may recognize this from A Discovery of Witches on Sky and they use this historic library to film the series where Diana and Matthew first meet. You may be surprised to know that they didn't actually film inside the library, instead they recreated it as a set in its exact dimensions in Cardiff's Bad Wolf Studios. Fans of the show will still love seeing this on your tour as it will really feel like you're following in their footsteps. Honestly visiting this incredible library is well worth the money and there are several tour options you can take in Oxford in order to see it. There are 30, 60 or 90 minute tours and these start from £10. Just remember to book well in advance as they are very very popular. During your tour you'll also find another Harry Potter filming location which is the Divinity School and forms part of the Bodleian Libraries as well. It was built in the medieval era in the 15th century and used to be where lectures and exams were held and now is only used for events, student ceremonies and tours. This incredible room was used as the Hogwarts hospital wing during Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and also the hospital wing during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where many of the students are petrified including Hermione. Again it appears in the Prisoner of Azkaban after Harry wakes up after defeating the Dementors and you'll see poor Ron here at the Divinity School during the Half-Blood Prince when he drinks poison meant for Dumbledore. But by far my favourite scene from the Divinity School has to be when the students are practising their dances for the Yule Ball and Ron will never live down dancing with Professor McGonagall. You can take a self-guided tour of the Divinity School for just £2.50 and although there won't be a commentary there are signs that give you plenty of information about the filming here and what the building was used for. However I would recommend going on a guided tour as this gives you access to the Convocation House and Chancellor's Court. The Convocation House was a meeting house for the King Charles I and II have sat in that chair and Oscar Wilde was famously fined for not paying his tailor. After your Bodleian Library tour I would recommend having a look around the Bodleian Library complex as you can see incredible buildings like the Radcliffe Camera that gets its name from Latin meaning room. It's another library of the Bodleian Libraries and you can only visit on a 90-minute tour. However looking from the outside is just as good and I would recommend heading around the Sheldonian Theatre and the famous and iconic Bridge of Sighs walkway. If you are looking for a pick-me-up after your visit to the Bodleian Library tours then I would head into the Vault Cafe. This cafe is one of my absolute favourites and you can find it right next door to St Mary's Church. It makes an excellent place to visit on a Harry Potter tour as it really does look like Hogwarts with these ancient cloisters and after I would recommend heading up to St Mary's Church Tower for one of the best views in all of Oxford. Oxford can be notoriously busy especially around the iconic buildings like the Radcliffe Camera so a great way to escape the crowds is to head up St Mary's Church Tower and it's only £5. This church tower is the oldest part of St Mary's Church and dates back to 1280. You'll ascend 127 steps passing the Clore Old Library and the historic bell ringing chamber to reach the top but when you step out onto the lookout you'll find amazing gargoyles, grotesques and the best majestic views of Oxford or the City of Dreaming Spires. It can be quite claustrophobic as it's a very old church and you'll be climbing up very small steps. There's not a one-way system and so you will be passing people so I always recommend getting up early and heading up here for opening time. Also make sure to wear comfortable shoes for the steps and bring your camera because these views are really not to be missed. I personally believe that a tour of the Bodleian Libraries is a must-do in Oxford and you really cannot miss it. You can book your tour online and I think a 30-minute tour is sufficient as you get to see the Divinity School and Duke Humphrey's Library. I have finished my tour of Humphrey's Library and the Divinity School where they filmed Harry Potter and I really hope that you enjoyed our tour. As I said if you decide to come to Oxford you can take a guided tour of the Bodleian Libraries and it is well worth doing if you're a Harry Potter fan. Thank you so much for watching this video, I really hope you enjoyed our Harry Potter tour of the Bodleian Libraries and I'll see you back for the next one.