Through fire and blood: What it's like to go on the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Co Down

A wholly immersive experience is bringing Westeros to the fee-paying public. Kate Demolder travelled to Banbridge to report back from King’s Landing, Winterfell, Dragonstone, and the Seven Kingdoms

Enter the frozen land Beyond the Wall. 

We open with fire and ice. The crisp February morning I drive to Banbridge, Co Down is one of two stories. The first, a sleepy Friday morning in suburbia. The second, the opening of one of the area’s greatest contributions to show business since Van Morrison’s ‘Star of The County Down’.

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour, following months of rigorous construction, prep and finesse, is now open to the public. Medieval torches frame the red carpet as a fanfare escalates. Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), Kristian Nairn (Hodor), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) join forces to first break the chains on this brand-new global visitor attraction.