Quarry to shut for filming of HBO series - as casting call goes out for 'rugged men with good facial hair

A POPULAR slate quarry in Gwynedd is to close for two weeks in mid June to accommodate filming for a major HBO TV series.

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

Security guards will be posted around Dinorwig Quarry, near Llanberis, for the return of House of the Dragon (HoTD) production crews.

A key parking area - often overwhelmed by the quarry's surging popularity - will also be closed off, though only for four days.

Site preparation starts this week and a casting call has been issued for “rugged men” with “good facial hair”.

In a letter to residents, location manager Matthew Pyle said scenes planned for Dinorwig include “extras in armour, horses, special effects and various props”.

A second, shorter spell of filming is also scheduled at the quarry in June.

As the same crew filmed there in 2023, it's widely assumed the quarry is again standing in as a HoTD backdrop as Harrenhal Castle, the largest fortification in the fictional country of Westeros.

Location company Cross Plains Production also facilitated HoTD filming for season two of the hit fantasy drama, much of it in North Wales.