A MEMORIAL dedicated to a popular movie character will remain at a Pembrokeshire beach – for now.
National Trust Cymru had been holding a consultation – which ran for eight months – to see how they can improve Freshwater West Beach, which included potentially removing the memorial to Dobby.
One of the Harry Potter franchise’s most heart-breaking scenes came in the seventh movie – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – when Dobby, the house elf who was freed from the Malfoy family by Harry, was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange’s knife throw as he apparated from Malfoy Manor to the beach.
In the film, he was buried on the beach – which was filmed on location – and in the years since the movie’s release, fans have created a memorial to the elf on the beach, with pebbles, socks and other trinkets.
National Trust Cymru has released their findings following the consultation, which stated that the memorial will remain in the immediate term - but it came with a request to not add to the memorial.
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The report says: “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 the situation will be reviewed as work continues towards a long-term plan for managing the site alongside the whole of the beach.
Almost 5,000 people took part in the consultation through online surveys and more turned up to in-person events.
The main discussions revolved around car parking and visitor facilities at the beach including reconfiguring the car park with a new seasonal overflow at Gupton Farm and implementing safer parking, proposed introduction of car parking charges and extending and upgrading the toilet block with better disabled access, new signage, visitor information and refreshment provision.
Jonathan Hughes, National Trust Cymru’s assistant director operations, South Wales said: “Freshwater West is a much-loved coastal site and over time, its beauty, expansive beach, good surf and Hollywood filming credentials have seen it become increasingly popular.
“Visitor numbers regularly exceed capacity, and our car park alone welcomes around 75,000 people each year. While we’re delighted that so many want to visit, we have to balance the popularity of the site with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider environment, and pressure on the facilities and surrounding roads.”
“As a conservation charity, our priority is to ensure that visitors have an enjoyable and safe experience, whilst also safeguarding this special landscape so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
“We are pleased to be able to share the findings and proposals from the consultation that will inform an action plan, subject to planning permission and funding, for the next steps at Freshwater West.”
Freshwater West is home to a host of wildlife including lizards, ground-nesting birds and orchids and has been named a European Designations of Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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