A proposed £430 million (around ₹5,500 crore) power cable linking Britain and Ireland is being rerouted after Harry Potter fans raised concerns that its planned path would pass through a beloved memorial to Dobby, the house elf who died in the series.
The Greenlink interconnector, an approximately 200-km power project linking Britain’s National Grid with Ireland, was originally planned to pass through the area around Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where Harry Potter fans have created a memorial to Dobby.
Sentimental value
The site became a pilgrimage spot for fans after Freshwater West was used as the setting for Dobby’s death scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. In the film, Harry buries Dobby after the house elf dies while helping Harry and his friends escape danger.
Over the years, fans have turned the location into an informal shrine. Visitors have left piles of painted stones, pebbles and other tributes, many bearing messages such as “Here lies Dobby”. Socks have also become a popular tribute to the character, referencing Dobby’s association with socks in the Harry Potter story.
The National Trust, which owns Freshwater West beach, agreed in 2022 that the memorial could remain. However, it urged visitors not to leave souvenirs because of concerns about the site’s ecological sensitivity.
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Fans object to proposed cable route
The proposed Greenlink project would connect the Great Island Power Station in Ireland with Pembroke Power Station in Wales through a combination of submarine and onshore cables.
When Harry Potter fans discovered that the planned route could pass through the area of Dobby’s memorial, they began raising objections.
Project manager Simon Ludlam told The Guardian that his company received “hundreds of calls” after fans became aware of the proposed route. Ludlam said he initially did not know who Dobby was.
The backlash prompted planners to look at alternatives, with the project subsequently adopting a new route designed to avoid the memorial.
The rerouting means the cable will avoid not only the Dobby site but also an archaeological discovery that could have presented another complication for the project.
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Cable route nearly crossed Bronze Age remains
Planning documents from Pembrokeshire council indicate that archaeological trenches near the underground cable route contained the remains of a rim from an inverted pottery vessel.
The vessel is believed to be a Bronze Age collared urn, dating to around 1700-1500 BC. Such urns are typically associated with human burial practices from the period.
The discovery adds an unexpected historical dimension to what began as a dispute over a fictional character’s memorial.
The cable will ultimately avoid both the Dobby memorial and the archaeological remains as planners work on the revised route.
Who is Dobby?
Dobby is a house elf in the Harry Potter series who is initially enslaved by the Malfoy family. He eventually becomes a loyal friend of Harry and repeatedly helps him and his friends.
The character dies while helping Harry, Ron and Hermione escape from danger, making his death one of the most emotional moments in the series.
That scene, filmed at Freshwater West, transformed an otherwise ordinary stretch of Welsh coastline into a destination for Harry Potter fans. The memorial that grew there has since become a lasting tribute to the fictional character.
The saga surrounding the Greenlink cable has now added another chapter to the site’s unusual history: a fan movement over a fictional house elf has helped change the route of a major international energy project, while planners have also managed to steer clear of remains dating back thousands of years.