The National Trust Cymru will allow a shrine to Dobby the house elf — a character in the Harry Potter series — to remain at a Welsh beach after floating the idea of removing it.
Fans created a memorial to the beloved character at Freshwater West beach, which is part of a protected conservation area, where scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I and Part II were filmed.
Dobby is killed towards the end of the first instalment and is buried up on a dune overlooking the Welsh beach.
The beginning of the second film features a scene showing the elf's grave marked with a tombstone that reads "HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF".
Since the final film's release in 2011, fans have trekked to the beach to lay tributes to the fictional character.
Many leave pebbles with messages such as "RIP Dobby" and "we love you Dobby" written on them in permanent marker, others are painted in bright colours.
A Wales Online report said the elf's resting place was also adorned with "hundreds of socks".
The socks are a reference to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which Harry tricks Dobby's then-master Lucius Malfoy into handing the house elf a sock — which frees him from servitude.
Tens of thousands of visitors each year
The National Trust Cymru said the popularity of the beach with tourists was putting pressure on the area, according to a BBC report.
Freshwater West is part of a protected area, classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a European Designations of Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation
The area is home to large grey seals, harbour porpoise, and some of the largest populations of seabirds in the world, the Trust said.
It said about 75,000 people visited the car park each year, with numbers regularly exceeding capacity.
In May, the Trust launched a survey about how the landscape should be looked after.
Two questions focused on the Dobby tribute site, with participants asked whether the memorial should be removed or transferred.
'Leave no trace' policy
Eight months later, the National Trust Cymru said the shrine could stay.
"The memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy," a trust press release said.
"The trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape.
"Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk."
An executive summary of a report prepared for the trust said the site would need to be managed in line with a "leave no trace" policy in the future.
"The management of Dobby's grave requires further liaison between relevant stakeholders to reach a middle ground which allows access but provides a more sensitive solution for the local environment," it said.
"The involvement of one or more local charities or groups is suggested in terms of adopting a role in overseeing the site in future."
