To all those students out there still waiting for that long-overdue letter from Hogwarts, your time has come! The Bothwell School of Witchcraft in East Sussex will be accepting students to Herstmonceux Castle for the first time this summer in a new and unique 3-day experience.
Promoted as a live-action role-playing (LARP) event, there will be 150 tickets up for grabs later this month, with experiences inside the 15th century castle including official house sorting, witchcraft lessons and an extravagant banquet that rivals any Hogwarts start of term feast.
Guests will be welcomed as their own authentic school-age character, created beforehand by way of questionnaire. They will then receive a synopsis before arrival which enables them to take part in a murder-mystery style event throughout their stay.
Each person need only bring with them their wand before being provided with their robes and tie, though they ask that you bring a change of costume for a Yule Ball-style dance.
And no, you’re not too old because your letter got mislaid in the post when you were 11 – this is exclusively for those aged over 18.
Prices will start from £400-450 which includes two nights accommodation and all your meals. Whilst they stress on their website – which includes an extensive school history – that the event is in no way affiliated with J.K. Rowling’s works or the Harry Potter franchise, their chosen crest looks oddly familiar and it seems this is the closest you’ll get to a real-life stay in a magical castle.
For more information, visit https://www.bothwellschoolofwitchcraft.com/
Edited by: Imogen Hibberd
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Sources
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Hall