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Is there a real place that the Dursleys' address was based on? We know in-world that they lived at 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey. Does Rowling ever let us know if there was a real world street she based their neighborhood on, if it's not an actual real place?

Still of "Privet Drive" from film

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  • Is phantom42 correct in his assessment of your question, or is my answer valid? (see comments on my answer)
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 23:00
  • @randal'thor im looking for both technicly though he is right that its unclear
    – Himarm
    Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 23:04

2 Answers 2

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In-universe, it's probably somewhere near Staines.

location

This article in the HP Lexicon gives a very good argument for Little Whinging (the location of the Dursleys' house) being roughly where it's shown on this map, in the far north of Surrey close to Staines.


It was filmed in Martins Heron, Berkshire.

The filming location, meanwhile, is No. 12, Picket Post Close, in the village of Martins Heron near Bracknell in Berkshire. Here's a screenshot from Google Street View, so you can see it's the same:

street

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  • 2
    Oh god, it's near Staines. Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 22:54
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    I don't think this is answering the question asked. I read it as asking for what real life area the location is based off of. This is more about where it would be in real life.
    – phantom42
    Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 22:54
  • @phantom42 OP says he's looking for both (see comments on question).
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 23:05
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    Don't forget that I think as early as the second film (definitely early on) they built the exterior of the house and at least one other to make filming easier.
    – ThruGog
    Commented Nov 11, 2015 at 0:42
  • Just as a side note there is only 12 miles between Staines Upon Thames and Bracknell, geographically they are quite similar.
    – Sarriesfan
    Commented Dec 29, 2018 at 19:00
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JK Rowlings thoughts

Although I describe the Dursleys' house as big and square, as befitted Uncle Vernon's status as a company director, whenever I wrote about it I was unconsciously visualising the second house I lived in as a child, which on the contrary was a rather small three-bedroomed house in the suburb of Winterbourne, near Bristol.

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  • You may also be interested to know that Winterbourne is home to a Dragon Road, Green Dragon Road and a pub called the George and Dragon and the Potter surname originated from some of JK's friends in the village (according to wikipedia).
    – Kerr Avon
    Commented Nov 11, 2015 at 0:34

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