Travel test

WHAT: Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making Of Harry Potter. Adult £47/child £38/family £150, must be booked in advance. wbstudiotour.co.uk

The Warner Bros Studio Tour is a vast collection of the sets and props from the Harry Potter films, which were all saved over the years in case they were needed for the next instalment.

Once filming wrapped for ever, everything from Diagon Alley and Platform 9¾ to Hagrid’s Hut and The Forbidden Forest was reassembled in a huge complex next to the original film studios, conjuring up a whole Potter universe for fans to explore. WHERE: The Studio Tour is on the outskirts of Watford, an easy drive off the A1 and M25.

There’s also a dedicated bus service from Watford Station, but sadly it’s not the Knight Bus itself that’s parked outside Number 4 Privet Drive in the backlot.

EXPERIENCE: This certainly isn’t a cheap day out but as soon as the doors swing open into the Great Hall, it’s hard to begrudge the entry fee. The scale of the tour is astonishing. Iconic sets, such as Dumbledore’s office, are cleverly positioned next to screens playing scenes in which they were used, bringing the magic to life.

The tour pulls on all the emotions as you walk round. There are laughs (the Puking Pastilles is hilariously gross), the odd lump in the throat (RIP Alan Rickman and Helen McCrory) and plenty of screams from younger visitors in the spider-ridden mists of the Forbidden Forest.

The fire-breathing dragon emerging from Gringotts Bank even had some adults jumping.

The most enduring impression is of a truly feelgood experience, whether it’s the joy of seeing the Hogwarts Express, or the fun of trying the Quidditch green screen. QUIBBLES: The Butterbeer is as dear as it is disgusting – £6.50 for a syrupy vanilla concoction in a plastic souvenir tankard. VERDICT: A genuinely spellbinding experience. There’s no limit to how long you can stay, and there’s enough to enchant you for hours. 10/10