The six locations in North Wales rumoured for House of the Dragon filming
Six film location sites in northwest Wales are said to have been earmarked for season three of HBO's House of The Dragon (HoTD). Some were used in summer 2023, others are new.
Three large sets are already taking shape at Dinorwig Quarry near Llanberis, which in season two served as an HoTD backdrop for Harrenhal Castle, the largest fortification in Westeros. Props assembled so far suggest the aftermath of a visit by a fire-breathing dragon to the Harrenhal battle camp in the Riverlands.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has hinted of more filming at Traeth Llanddwyn and Newborough Forest in southwest Anglesey, where some trees are being felled. According to a source close to the production team, film crews will also be returning to Penmon in south west Anglesey.
Other locations are in Eryri (Snowdonia), including Cwm Idwal and its iconic lake in the Ogwen Valley, Gwynedd. Two sites near Capel Curig, Conwy, have also been scouted. A seventh site, in Nant Peris at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), will reportedly be used as the production team's base.
Northwest Wales was one of the main stars of season two, when eight locations were used. Half of these were on Anglesey, including Beaumaris and Porth-y-Cŵch.
Llanddwyn Beach, near Newborough village, saw a good deal of filming and is said to have provided the backdrop for parts of Dragonstone. In a social media post NRW said an un-named TV production company was back on site this week.
They were undertaking 'small scale preparation works' at the Twyni Penrhos area of Newborough Forest. This involved removing a 'small number of unsafe trees', along with rough vegetation and tree stumps. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
NRW said: 'All work will be undertaken under close supervision of ecologists. The area will be restored to dune grassland and native scrub which will benefit wildlife and the local environment and provide accommodation space for filming equipment.
"There will be no disruption to visitors.' At present it's unclear if HoTD will be returning to Trefor Quarry on the Gwynedd coast, which was transformed into Dragonstone Castle for season two.
Other sites featured in the second series included the Ogwen Valley and around Penmachno Roman Bridge, near Betws-y-Coed.
A source claimed the Nant Peris site above Llanberis will be the gathering point for actors and extras. 'A large marquee is to be erected and the actors will be ferried to the various sites in minibuses and 4x4s,' they added.
Production, location and safety crews are to be staying in Caernarfon and Bangor.
Locals have reported seeing HoTD teams picking up visitor litter from Dinorwic Quarry and placing bins to ensure it's spotless when vacated.
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