UK filming locations for The Holiday including Surrey and the beautiful cottage
Christmas film season is here and for most of us, there are some classics we always return to - and The Holiday is one of those hits.
Starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as Amanda and Iris respectively, the film sees two women who suffer a heartbreak deciding to swap homes for the festive season - despite living on entirely different continents.
For Iris, that means heading to Los Angeles to live in a giant mansion, while Amanda heads to the English countryside to live in a cosy cottage. For viewers, that means getting some serious wanderlust whether you're eyeing up that incredible mansion or dreaming of that picture-perfect cottage.
The good news for Brits is that the majority of filming took place across the UK, so there are locations you can visit yourself if you want to recreate that festive magic.
Rosehill Cottage is fake but it was inspired by a real cottage (Universal Pictures)So, where exactly is the beautiful countryside spot where Amanda heads?
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Of course, first of all there's Rosehill Cottage with its cosy interiors and fireplace. Sadly, the cottage isn't a real place, with both the exterior and interior being sets. However, there is a silver lining for film fans - a real cottage inspired the filmmakers.
In fact, Honeysuckle Cottage in Holmbury St Mary inspired the production crew.
Just like Rosehill, it's surrounded by lush greenery and has a little white picket gate entrance. Inside there's a spacious living room with a large fireplace, a kitchen with plenty of space for whipping up some delicious Christmas feasts.
The cottage was actually put on the market in 2018 so sadly you won't be able to book a stay.
(Filmflex)Filming for most of the exterior shots took place across the villages of Shere and Godalming in Surrey.
It's not difficult to see why the picture-perfect village of Shere caught the crew's attention, with its chocolate box cottages, historic pubs and sprawling countryside that transforms into a real-life winter wonderland whenever it's covered in snow. There are plenty of spots which feature in the film too. For example, when Amanda takes on the long walk through the woods at the beginning to reach Rosehill Cottage, she crosses a footbridge over Tillingbourne Stream which passes through Shere.
Meanwhile, Shere's local pub The White Horse is where Amanda and Graham (Jude Law) enjoy a drink together at the pub. Unfortunately if you're hoping to recreate their lunch date at the stately home, you'll need to head to California, where Greystone Mansion provided that particular backdrop!
It's not the first time that Shere has caught the attention of filmmakers - it's also been the setting for films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as Bridget Jones.
If you want to visit, the easiest way is to get a train out from London; Chilworth and Gomshall are the nearest stations to Shere and are about an hour and a half's journey.
Kate Winslet and Jack Black in The Holiday (Unknown)Other locations for Amanda's scenes included Godalming which served as the village where Amanda drives to pick up some food and drink from the local shops, and Cornwell Manor in Oxfordshire where she and Graham enjoy a romantic date.
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Speaking of Graham, the exterior of his characterful home was a real house - Mill House in Wonersh , to be precise.
Of course it's not just England which features in the film, with Kate Winslet's character heading off to live the dream in a huge Los Angeles mansion.
Kate Winslet in The Holiday (Colombia Pictures)The mansion itself is actually a real 10,324-square-foot house in the city of San Marino, California , although it was only used for exterior shots, for example when Amanda kicks out her boyfriend, or when Iris first meets Miles (Jack Black).
The home interior scenes were also filmed in a studio.
The character of Arthur Abbot (Eli Wallach) may have some serious Hollywood credentials in the film, but the home which was used to create his house also offers a piece of Tinseltown history as the 22-room bedroom previously belonged to comedienne Phyllis Diller. The beautiful home is located in the Californian city of Brentwood on Rockingham Avenue.
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