Last Updated on 11th April 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Year after year, one of the most popular movies to watch around Christmastime is The Holiday. This feel good film has entertained audiences since 2006 and features an all star cast. Here are the top The Holiday filming locations, as well as other fun facts about the Christmas movie.
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What is the plot of The Holiday?
The famous film follows the stories of two women from different countries (the UK and the USA) who want to escape their relationship troubles and choose to embark on a house swap for the Christmas Holidays (hence the name of the film).
The two women could not live more different lives, with Iris (a journalist played by Winslet) living in a charming cottage in an adorable little village and Amanda (a burned out Hollywood producer played by Diaz) living in a sprawling LA mansion.
Rather predictably, both women end up meeting and falling in love with local men in their respective holiday destinations and the film follows the ensuing drama. The main cast is Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black, and Kate Winslet. The romantic comedy
The Holiday filming locations
San Marino
Amanda lives in Los Angeles is a giant Tuscan style mansion that all but dwarfs Iris’ countryside cottage. The real filming location is a stunning 1928 property in the city of San Marino, a small and affluent city in California. The interiors of Amanda’s house were filmed at the Sony Studios.
Shere
One of the most picturesque villages in Surrey is Shere, which is located close to Guildford and is within an hour of London. This small village of fewer than 4000 residents boasts timber-framed homes, a medieval church, and even its own museum, the Shere Museum.
Shere also has its very own English pub, The White Horse, which was featured in The Holiday when Amanda and Graham (played by Jude Law) go for a drink.
One of the more quaint shots of the movie features Amanda strolling over a footbridge over Tillingbourne Stream, a waterway which goes through Shere. The village has also been used as the backdrop for films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and The Wedding Date.
Iris lives in a chocolate box house that looks like it’s been plucked straight out of a storybook. Unfortunately, the actual house which Amanda allegedly rented doesn’t even exist, though it was heavily inspired by Honeysuckle Cottage, in Holmbury St Mary, near Dorking.
Both the interiors and exterior of the house you see in The Holiday was actually a film set. The good news is that Honeysuckle Cottage has just been listed on Airbnb for an average of £295 a night and so you can live out your rustic British dreams there if you have the funds. Find our more details here.
Mill House in Wonersh
Unlike Amanda’s house, the exterior of Graham’s house in The Holiday actually exists and is located in Wonersh in Surrey. The property is Grade II listed and the village itself is 28 miles southwest of London.
Godalming
The village of Godalming was also used for some exterior picturesque English countryside shots and is where Amanda heads to pick up some food for her cosy cottage. The town itself is also located in Surrey and is a market town with around 20,000 residents.
Cornwell Manor in Oxfordshire
This luxury wedding venue is nestled in the Cotswolds and was used as a backdrop for a scene depicting a romantic date between Amanda and Graham. In real life, this popular property is surrounded by a privately owned hamlet set on a 2,000 acre estate close to Chipping Norton.