Before we get too carried away though, you may be wondering what exactly I mean by a "wizarding village." Many magical families live scattered throughout the Muggle population, not immediately knowing who is magical and who is not, or live in more isolated areas with no neighbors at all. The first option is the most common. For example, in the large city of London, many magical folks do their best to blend into the diverse group of citizens that make up the population. This is a practical option for many, as housing is abundant, and it is easy to disappear into the hubbub of a big city. Others choose the opposite side of the spectrum, choosing to go further out into the country (to varying degrees of isolation) to avoid having to interact with (and potentially expose them to) Muggles. Of course, there is also a middle ground, but you generally get the idea.
However, wizarding villages offer an alternative and come with distinct positives and challenges. These villages have a significant magical population and almost have a "counter-culture" or "subculture" of magical folk. In most wizarding villages, at least half of the population is magical, though there is a fair bit of wiggle room in that number. As you will learn later, most of these villages have been "approved" or at least documented by the Ministry of Magic. This is for a few reasons, including the fact that it allows the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes to keep an eye on the area and be ready to react to any issues that arise. As a good rule of thumb, anything called a "wizarding village" is confirmed to have a magical population that makes up at least 30% of the inhabitants, though as inhabitants are free to come and go, this can change quickly. For this same reason, there are also villages, towns, or cities that suddenly acquire a large magical population that is not officially recognized, at least immediately.
Regardless of this flexibility and the amount of change that occurs, there are many long-standing wizarding villages in the United Kingdom. We'll be looking at a few now.
Hogsmeade
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Hogsmeade is perhaps the most popular wizarding village in Britain, and it is also the only all-magical community in Britain, unlike communities within a larger Muggle city or region. Hogsmeade is located to the northwest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you look closely at the architecture of Hogsmeade, you will see most of it is from medieval times. One good example of a medieval building is the Three Broomsticks, an ancient inn, allegedly built on the site of Hogsmeade's founder's house.
The town was founded sometime between 1010 and 1030 by Hengist of Woodcroft, a medieval wizard. Hengist of Woodcroft was escaping to Scotland from witch-hunters in Northumberland and was hoping to find an area of relative seclusion and safety. He is believed to have created his home where The Three Broomsticks currently stands, but no sources have managed to confirm if this is a fact or a myth.
After the International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689, there was an influx of new residents escaping the witch-hunts, as well as finding places to hide from Muggles, as the new law indicated. Many of these found solace in Hogsmeade. For the most part, they remained there with their families and their descendants currently make up a large part of the population of our dear Hogsmeade today.
