South Africa
skoonheid jy sal nooit vergeet nie

The Mysterious Fate of Harry Potter

The main cemetery in the historic town of Cradock holds a secret attraction that won’t be found anywhere else in the country. Here lies the grave of one Harry Potter!

Karoo graveyards are interesting places to explore, they contain the names of many famous people who passed through the area and Cradock, in the Karoo Heartland, is no exception with at least a famous General and Adventurer buried here. But it is not these gravestones that bring the majority of the visitors to the cemetery, but rather the one right in the centre.

JK Rowling, author of the billion-dollar fantasy series Harry Potter, has arguably created one of the world’s most famous hero’s. The name Harry Potter is known the world over and, according to Cradock locals the gravestone of a legendary Harry Potter was discovered by a German tourist who dedicated his time to traveling around the world in search of graves of famous personalities.

In general, graveyards can be spooky places to visit and with the first swirl of morning mist, the Cradock Cemetery fits the scene of a mystery or fantasy novel perfectly. It is a classic country cemetery with giant Pine trees shrouding the graves of lost loved ones. Our Cradock Harry Potter’s grave, lies among these trees, alongside Blanche Potter, his wife. He died in 1910 at the age of 46 and as far as the locals can tell he may have been a British soldier who stayed on after the Anglo-Boer War. Loads of visitors come to visit his grave each month because of his famous name. Some to take photos and some even shed a tear, either way our Harry Potter is growing steadily more famous in his own right!

Things to do and see

  • Cradock Cemetery grounds
  • Harry Potter's Gravestone with Inscription
  • Boer War General, Piet Kritzinger’s Gravestone
  • Dr. Reginald Koettlitz’s Gravestone, Robert Scott’s MD in the Antarctic
  • Harry Edwin Wood’s Garvestone, Astronomer

Admission

There is no charge to visit the cemetery

Geskep: ; Laas opgedateer: