House of the Dragon season 3 filming location shaken by quarry collapse

When you think about the Game of Thrones franchise, your mind probably conjures epic battles, political scheming, and mind-blowing visuals—not, say, a hillside collapsing in real life. But apparently, Westeros isn’t the only thing crumbling under tension.

A battle scene being filmed for the highly anticipated third season of House of the Dragon seems to have left its mark on the real world, and no, we’re not talking about emotional scars from a character’s untimely demise. We’re talking about Dinorwig Quarry in Gwynedd, North Wales, now featuring a lot more, uh, “open concept” landscaping than before.

Yes, as reported by the BBC earlier this month, a massive chunk of this disused slate quarry decided to make an unscheduled descent, showering the area with rocks, slate, and a thick cloud of dust.

The incident was captured on video by Aran Jones, a 21-year-old hiking enthusiast who was just out for a peaceful day of goat-spotting when he was rudely interrupted by what he described as "cracking sounds" and the spectacle of an entire wall coming down. His reaction? “Mind blown.” Same here, Aran. Same here.

For those unacquainted with Dinorwig Quarry, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its slate mines, which have been dormant since 1969. Back in the day, it was the second-largest quarry in the world, and now it’s a hotspot for filmmakers and adventurous climbers. Oh, and did we mention it’s believed to be haunted? Yup, the quarry’s rugged, eerie landscape has earned it a starring role as one of House of the Dragon’s key filming locations. But even a fantasy set couldn’t escape a very real-world mishap.

When asked about the collapse, Jones initially thought it might be a controlled demolition to spice up the battle scenes. After all, what’s a medieval clash without a bit of dramatic debris flying around? But reality hit (literally) when he remembered the site had been out of action for decades. Controlled demolition? Nah. Just nature doing its thing, assisted by the possible extra vibrations of an HBO production crew.

Jones also shared that he wasn’t alone in the quarry at the time. After the initial crash of the collapse, a couple bolted past him at full sprint, looking, as Jones described it, “completely terrified.” If you’ve watched even an episode of House of the Dragon, you know running away in fear usually happens moments before someone gets torched by a dragon. No dragons here, though, just falling slate, which, to be fair, has its own brand of terror.

Jones, caught between curiosity and primal survival instincts, quickly joined the exodus. “What if this is a chain reaction?” he recounted thinking. “What if there’s more collapses all the way down?” If Game of Thrones taught us anything, it’s to listen to that little voice in your head saying, “You might also die horribly if you don’t move.”

While the collapse left Jones and bystanders shaken, it turns out not everyone viewed the incident as a natural disaster. For some climbers who happened to be on-site, the rockslide presented new climbing routes, as they cheerfully pointed out after being shown the video. Silver linings, right? Nothing says “extreme adventure sports” like scaling walls of freshly crumbled slate.

Jones, on the other hand, has a more cautious takeaway. “The main advice I’d give is if you hear cracking or falling slate, just get as far away as possible,” he said. Wise words. If only Westerosi characters adhered to even a fraction of that logic, we might not need a family tree just to figure out who's still alive.

Incidents like this are a reminder of the delicate balance between preserving cultural landmarks and allowing them to serve as filming locations for global phenomena like House of the Dragon. They’re also a not-so-gentle nudge to production crews to tread lightly, as even the most epic battle scene isn’t worth endangering historical sites.

That being said, this story is further proof of just how immersive House of the Dragon is. Watching season 3, fans will know that some of the dirt, debris, and drama are more authentic than they might’ve guessed. Whether that makes the show a little cooler or a little scarier is up for debate.

For now, the Dinorwig Quarry remains as mysterious and majestic as the show it has hosted. Thankfully, no one was injured in the collapse, and the site continues to inspire awe with its dramatic landscapes, even if they are now slightly... rearranged.

And to the climbers eyeing those “new routes”: maybe bring a helmet. Or two.

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