The new season of HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon is just around the corner. Viewers will get to return to Westeros on Monday, June 17 when season two of the popular show drops (2am BST).
The action for the new season picks up where the last, which aired in 2022, left off. The death of King Viserys has triggered a succession crisis.
Though Viserys’ named heir is Princess Rhaenyra, his wife Queen Alicent and her father Otto Hightower have schemed to put Aegon II on the Iron Throne. But Rhaenyra and uncle-husband Prince Daemon aren't going to back down from her claim. Are you looking forward to season two? Let us know in the comments.
READ MORE: Game of Thrones spin-off House of Dragon first look as season 2 trailer drops
READ MORE: Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke receives MBE for her brain injury charity after suffering two haemorrhages
The new season of House of the Dragon — which you can read more about here — consists of eight episodes and several scenes were shot in and around Wales in 2023. Executive producer Kevin de la Noy said of filming in Wales: “It was great to be shooting in Wales with its stunning scenery and landscapes, that bring to life our Westeros. I had no hesitation in taking House of the Dragon there, as we knew the support from government and the local populous would help us achieve remarkable footage, and we were blessed with the most glorious weather too. Thank you, Wales!”
Meanwhile, Dawn Boden, former Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in the Welsh Government, added: “This is a real demonstration of the strength of north Wales as a region, and I’m delighted we were able to support such a high-end, big budget production. Not only has it boosted the economy locally during the shoot itself, but it has huge potential to bring future tourism to Wales.” Here is a list of some of the Welsh locations used in the new series.
Trefor Quarry
Many of the Dragonstone exteriors were filmed in Gwynedd. Filming at Trefor Quarry took place for about a week, with onlookers noticing the frequent use of smoke machines. Throughout the period of filming, multiple cast members were confirmed to be on location, including series lead Emma D’Arcy who plays Rhaenyra, as well as Harry Collett who plays Rhaenyra’s heir Jacaerys.
Trefor Quarry is located right by the sea and the mountains Yr Eifl and is one of the four main quarries of Gwynedd. At the quarry the remnants of the old works were transformed into a fortress, believed to be Dragonstone Castle, the seat of House Targaryen.
Penmon Priory
Coastal scenes were shot near 12th century Penmon Priory, Anglesey, where parts of the beach below were closed to the public and heavily armed cavalry soldiers were filmed riding across fields.
Dinorwig Quarry
Dinorwig Quarry was once the world’s second largest slate quarry, which overlooks the lake Llyn Padarn. This will be seen as part of Harrenhal, a location which will become important in season two. The House of the Dragon team transformed the quarry into a battlefield during filming. It’s speculated the Battle of Rook’s Rest will be filmed here — the first major battle in the storyline’s civil war. At the time locals weren’t happy though and North Wales Live reported how one local who was eager to walk the quarry’s public footpaths, claimed they were “aggressively” stopped by a security guard.
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, the walker said at the time: “As someone who regularly walks this route in Dinorwig quarry, I am disappointed at the total lack of respect shown to local residents by members of your production crew, some of whom think themselves above the law. Whilst taking pictures, I was aggressively accosted by a security guard who told me I was not allowed to take pictures, even though I was on a public right of way. Could you please ensure members of your team familiarise themselves with local laws which give them no powers to prevent such photography from public rights of way.”
Llanddwyn Beach
Llanddwyn Beach, close to the village of Newborough, saw a good deal of filming. It is again said to have provided the backdrop for parts of Dragonstone and several of the show's stars were spotted on-set.
Where else has House of the Dragon season two been filmed?
Filming didn't just take place in Wales either. Other locations used in season two include Bourne Woods in Surrey, England, Cave Dale, Eldon Hill Quarry and Market Place in Castleton, England. Scenes were also shot at Castillo de La Calahorra, in Granada, Spain.
Cave Dale in Castleton first made an appearance on the show in the first season as a prime location for telling the story of Daemon Targaryen and is set to be the home of some iconic scenes in season two. .
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
