Video games news, releases, esports and culture — all the biggest gaming stories in one place.
Harry Potter nerds have forced an undersea cable to be moved to avoid Dobby the house elf’s grave, now runs close to Bronze Age remains instead
Greenlink altered the route of its Wales–Ireland electricity interconnector after hundreds of Harry Potter fans objected to it passing through the unofficial “grave” of Dobby at Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire. The incident highlights how a fictional-film memorial, which has become a tourist attraction, influenced a major infrastructure project intended to strengthen cross-border electricity connections.
The 190km high-voltage cable project cost about £430 million and became operational in 2025, with capacity to supply roughly 380,000 homes. The new route passes close to Bronze Age burial remains, though the project manager said these were also avoided; the Dobby memorial itself is fan-made, and the National Trust has asked visitors not to leave objects there because of environmental concerns.
In short
- Fans prompted an electricity cable reroute around Dobby’s unofficial memorial.
- The £430m Wales–Ireland link can power about 380,000 homes.
- The revised route also avoids nearby Bronze Age remains.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Dobby memorial has become a genuine site of community meaning with documented environmental impacts from unsustainable visitation. When a major project could feasibly be rerouted without compromising its core function—serving 380,000 homes—respecting what communities genuinely value demonstrates responsible corporate practice. This shows that large infrastructure projects can be designed with social considerations in mind.
The case against
Critical infrastructure serving hundreds of thousands shouldn't be rerouted to accommodate unofficial fan memorials, regardless of their social media popularity. Allowing this precedent risks any viral location demanding costly diversions, diverting time and resources from practical engineering concerns and official heritage protection. Infrastructure decisions must be driven by engineering, cost-effectiveness, and formal heritage considerations, not by internet culture.
Explained simply
Greenlink is an electricity link between Wales and Ireland. Its 190km undersea cable can carry enough power for about 380,000 homes and became operational in 2025, strengthening electricity connections between the two countries.
Freshwater West, in Pembrokeshire, became a place of pilgrimage for Harry Potter fans after it appeared in a film as the setting for the death of Dobby, a house elf. Fans created an unofficial memorial there, although the National Trust has asked visitors not to leave objects on the beach because of environmental concerns.
The cable’s route also comes near Bronze Age burial remains, which the project says were avoided. The case brings together modern energy infrastructure, archaeological sites and the ways popular films can shape how people use and value a place.