Ilfracombe

• Type: Muggle seaside town; site of a major magical incident.
• Location: Devon, England, United Kingdom.
• Owner/Residents: Primarily Muggles. Notable wizarding involvement during the 1932 incident from the Perkins family and the Roberts family (J.K. Rowling, Daily Prophet Newsletter).
• Key Features: A coastal holiday resort with beaches, popular with non-magical tourists.

Ilfracombe is a real-world coastal town in Devon, England, known in the wizarding world as the location of a significant breach of the International Statute of Secrecy in 1932 (J.K. Rowling, Daily Prophet Newsletter). The event, often referred to as the “Ilfracombe Incident,” occurred when a rogue Welsh Green dragon descended upon a beach crowded with sunbathing Muggles. The incident necessitated a massive and immediate response from the Ministry of Magic to prevent widespread exposure of the magical world. The cover-up involved performing a vast number of Memory Charms on the affected Muggle population. A wizarding family, the Roberts, who happened to be on holiday in Ilfracombe, took immediate action and performed what was later described as the largest mass Memory Charm of the century. For their bravery and quick thinking, the family was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class (J.K. Rowling, Daily Prophet Newsletter). Ministry officials, including members of the Perkins family, were also involved in the clean-up effort. Arthur Weasley later recounted a story about “old Archie” who insisted on wearing a Muggle kilt for the operation, much to the bemusement of the beachgoers.

The Ilfracombe Incident is mentioned briefly at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Frank Bryce, the Riddle House caretaker, overhears a news report on his wireless detailing the strange events at Ilfracombe. The newsreader mentions a committee's flimsy explanation for the panic, which Lord Voldemort dismisses as the work of the Ministry of Magic covering up a magical event. This reference serves as an important piece of world-building, illustrating the constant effort required by the wizarding community to remain hidden from Muggles. It demonstrates the real-world consequences of magical creatures getting loose and the mundane, often humorous, challenges Ministry wizards face in enforcing the International Statute of Secrecy. It also cleverly contrasts the everyday workings of the magical world with the sinister plot being hatched by Lord Voldemort and Wormtail in the same scene.

• Beach: The primary location of the 1932 dragon incident, where the Welsh Green confronted a large number of Muggles.

• Ilfracombe is a real seaside resort on the North Devon coast in southwest England. J.K. Rowling often incorporates real British locations into the geography of the wizarding world.
• The specific details about the Roberts family, the date of 1932, and their subsequent award of the Order of Merlin were revealed in the third Daily Prophet newsletter, written by J.K. Rowling and distributed to members of the official fan club between 2004 and 2007.