Beach guide beachatlas.com has just revealed the winners of ‘Golden Beach Award’ for 2024 and coming in at number 72 is the Welsh beach Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire
A UK beach that played host to one of the most heartbreaking death scenes in film history has been named one of the best coastal spots in the world.
For many Baby Boomers, the tragic death of Bambi’s mum at the hands of an unseen hunter in the Disney classic is the moment their childhood came to an end. For Generation X, Littlefoot’s mother falling off her mortal coil in dinosaur romp the Land Before Time signalled an end of innocence. For those who grew up with Harry Potter, the death of Dobby saw the long morning of innocence replaced by the inky dark night of adulthood.
The beloved house elf’s death is heartbreaking, with his last words delivered on Freshwater West – a beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales that has now been recognised as among the most beautiful in the world.
Beach guide beachatlas.com has just revealed the winners of ‘Golden Beach Award’ for 2024 and coming in at number 72 is the Welsh beach.
While the Shell Cottage which features in the film is no longer there, the dunes do host ‘Dobby’s grave’ – a touching tribute created by fans. Many of them can still be seen making pilgrimages to the spot where the house elf was buried. They often come bearing the gift of socks – a potent symbol for Potterheads as they are the means by which Dobby gained his freedom from the Malfoy family.
It was reported in 2022 that fans had left so many socks that it has become an environmental concern, leading the National Trust of Wales to conduct an eight-month review of the site.
“The memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy. The Trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape. Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk,” the Trust said in a statement two years ago.
Those who aren’t Potter fans may still recognise Freshwater West from the silver screen. That is because it also featured extensively in the 2010 film Robin Hood directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy and Oscar Isaac. The flick depicted the French invasion of southern England and saw 600 extras and 150 horses take to the sands during filming.
The beach itself is particularly lovely. It is wide, sandy, and backed by an extensive system of dunes. These are fragile so no camping or barbecues are allowed. There’s a rocky reef at the southern end and some quiet bays at the other.
“This sand and rocky beach is the hunting ground of the surfer always on the lookout for that perfect wave; a surfers paradise. This south-westerly facing beach has the best waves in the county BUT it’s only for the experienced and strong swimming surfer. Strong rip currents occur off this beach. It’s the best place to go to watch surfing,” Visit Pembrokeshire writes.
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