Motorists stared in disbelief when a medieval siege weapon parked up next to them at a garage in Gwynedd. It was being pulled by a Toyota Land Cruiser that had stopped at Beran Service Station, Deiniolen, to refuel.
Drivers immediately assumed the trebuchet was headed to nearby Dinorwig quarry, where preparations are continuing for the second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon. Film crews have taken over the whole site and are rigging up locations ahead of live-action filming on July 5-6.
A trebuchet was a powerful siege engine that used a long arm to hurl rocks, fire balls and other projectiles at castles and defences. Its presence near Dinorwic reinforces speculation that a battle scene may be filmed at the quarry: earlier this month, producers issued a casting call for a large number of amputees to take part in the shoot.
READ MORE: Take our House of the Dragon quiz and see if you can claim the Iron Throne
A Deiniolen resident, who grabbed photos of the trebuchet, said: “It was massive. And very unexpected in the local garage!”
Steven Davies was working behind the garage counter when the siege weapon arrived. “When I first saw it pulling in, I was a bit worried it would hit the canopy,” he said.
“We’re very busy at the moment because our fuel prices are very competitive in the area, so there were lots of drivers here at the time. They were coming into the shop and saying, “Did you just see that!” and a couple were taking photos.
“We see lots of weird and wonderful things at the garage but this was up there with the strangest. It was an impressive piece of kit and not something you see every day.”
Already, trucks, marquees and shipping containers have appeared at the site. Earlier this week a leaked map of the quarry’s filming locations was shared with North Wales Live.
Filming is also due to take place on the other side of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and rumours suggest this will also be for House of the Dragon. Cyngor Gwynedd Council has confirmed the closure of public bridleways off the B4418 around Llyn Y Gader near the Eryri village of Rhyd-Ddu. The routes will be closed on June 30, for between one and three days for filming work.
Filming at other locations in North Wales is underway. Yesterday, walkers at Newborough Forest, Anglesey, snapped photos of actors filming scenes on a promontory at picturesque Llanddwyn beach.
Happy to see film money coming to the region? Or miffed by the disruption? Let us know in the comments below.
Among the half-dozen actors, fans claimed some were dressed as “Dragonseeds”. These were Targaryen bastards, some of whom mastered dragons and were able to ride them.
In the run-up to filming, local people claimed they were told beach scenes would involve a dragon. Wooden rowing boats, painted black, were also drawn up on the beach, and tractors were brought in, at least one towing a spray tanker.
Photos showed the main beach car park half full of trucks, containers and a large marquee, and surrounded by security fencing. Some crew members are reported to be staying with local people, some of whom have been watching the production unfold on the beach. Filming is due to finish there on Friday, June 23, with the entire site reinstated by next Monday, June 26.
House of the Dragon depots have also been established on Anglesey at Penmon and, it is claimed, at Bodorgan. Some filming has also taken place at Aberffraw.
Earlier, a film set was also built in a granite quarry in Trefor on the Llŷn Peninsula. One local recalled: “Massive tent and wandering sunglassed chaps with walky-talkies all over the shop. Only went to yoga in Bert’s and felt I wasn’t on the guests’ list!”
According to Twitter fan page Redanian Intelligence, other sites may include the Ogwen Valley, Llyn Llydaw beneath Yr Wyddfa and Pen-Yr-Orsedd Quarry in the Nantlle Valley. None of these have been confirmed however.
House of the Dragon was not the only big production in town in recent days. Filming for an eagerly anticipated movie, featuring several big-name Holywood stars, also took place in a Llandudno cemetery – there’s more on this here.
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