JK Rowling denies Exeter Harry Potter myth

January 17, 2018 - JK Rowling made headlines after revealing that Harry Potter‘s The Leaky Cauldron pub was not inspired by the Old Fire House in Exeter.

The long-rumoured inspiration for the Hogwarts students’ favourite haunt is a favourite with Exeter students. The university’s Harry Potter society even hosts events there, so ingrained is the pub’s legacy into Potter lore.

However, responding to a news story about the property being sold, JK Rowling confirmed that the whole story is fabricated – what’s more, she’s never even visited the Old Fire House.

“If you want real fantasy, go to an estate agent,” Rowling wrote on Twitter. “Never visited this pub in my life.”