Spinner's End

• Type: Residence, Street
• Location: Cokeworth, England
• Owner/Residents: Severus Snape, Tobias Snape (formerly), Eileen Prince (formerly)
• Key Features: Located in a derelict Muggle industrial town; dark, book-lined interior; concealed staircase.

Spinner's End is the name of a street in the rundown Muggle town of Cokeworth. It is notable for being the location of the childhood home and adult residence of Severus Snape. The street is situated near a dirty river with littered banks and is overlooked by a tall mill chimney, suggesting an industrial heritage. The area is depicted as neglected, with broken streetlamps and a general air of dereliction. The Snape family home at Spinner's End is one of a row of identical, small brick houses. The interior, as seen in Harry Potter's sixth year, is dark and cramped. The main sitting room is described as a tiny, boxlike space, akin to a “padded cell,” where the walls are entirely hidden by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. These books are mostly bound in old, black or brown leather. The room is sparsely furnished with a threadbare sofa, a rickety armchair, and a wobbly table, all illuminated by a single candle. A key feature is a concealed door, blending in with the book-lined wall, which opens onto a narrow, hidden staircase. This house was the setting for Severus Snape's unhappy childhood with his Muggle father, Tobias Snape, and his witch mother, Eileen Prince. Harry Potter witnesses a memory of the tense and argumentative household during his Occlumency lessons. Snape continued to use the house as his residence during the summers away from Hogwarts.

Spinner's End plays a crucial role at two key points in the series, both of which serve to reveal important aspects of Severus Snape's character and motivations. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry inadvertently views one of Snape's worst memories, which is set in the Spinner's End house. He sees a young Snape cowering as his father, Tobias Snape, shouts at his mother, Eileen Prince. This brief glimpse is Harry's first insight into Snape's difficult and loveless upbringing, providing context for his sullen and bitter personality. The location is featured far more prominently in the second chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which is titled “Spinner's End.” Narcissa Malfoy and her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, travel there to seek Snape's help. The visit confirms that Snape returns to his Muggle home during the holidays and that Wormtail is living there with him, seemingly in a subservient role. The most pivotal event to occur here is Snape making the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa. He swears to protect her son, Draco Malfoy, to assist him in the task assigned by the Dark Lord, and to carry out the task himself should Draco fail. This vow binds Snape's actions for the remainder of the book and directly leads to him killing Albus Dumbledore, an act that cements his perceived loyalty to Lord Voldemort.

• Sitting Room: The primary room shown in the house. It is small, dark, and filled entirely with books, giving it a claustrophobic feel. It contains worn furniture and a concealed door leading to the staircase.
• Hidden Staircase: A narrow staircase is hidden behind a secret door disguised as a bookshelf in the sitting room.

• J.K. Rowling confirmed on the Pottermore website that Spinner's End is located in the town of Cokeworth. This is the same town where Lily and Petunia grew up, and where the Dursleys briefly took Harry to the Railview Hotel to escape his Hogwarts letters. This geographical proximity underscores the childhood connection between Snape and Lily. (Pottermore)
• The name “Spinner's End” likely alludes to the textile industry (“spinner”) common in English mill towns, fitting the derelict, industrial setting. The word “End” can refer to the end of a road or a hopeless situation, reflecting the bleakness of Snape's home life and his tragic story arc.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the location is visually depicted much as it is described in the novel, emphasizing the grim, working-class, and neglected environment of Snape's home. (film)