Listed locations for Christmas films and TV programmes

By Vikki Rushbrook Insurance Advisor

Close-up of a person writing on a clapperboard with a marker, indicating the start of filming.

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As we settle down to watch some of our best-loved films and TV programmes this Christmas, it’s worth observing how many of them use listed locations – or at least give us a glimpse! Settle yourself down with a mince pie and some mulled wine as we share a few of our filmic festive favourites.

Snowy lane leading down to cottage in The Holiday

Rosehill Cottage, The Holiday

We’re going to start by busting a myth. No not that one… of course Santa Claus is real! The other one is that Rosehill Cottage – the cute gingerbread house where Kate Winslett’s character lives – is not actually real and was specifically built for the movie. But… it was built to replicate the delightful Honeysuckle Cottage near Dorking, in Surrey. The picture-perfect period property last went on the market for £650,000 and boasts exposed timber frames, inglenook fireplaces, stone walls and floors, and a Jotol woodburner – which were all recreated for the movie adored by millions. And even better, it’s available as an actual holiday let, so you can play Kate or Cameron for real.

Downton Abbey

Filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, but set in North Yorkshire, this Grade I listed building has been the setting for many a Downtown Christmas. The Jacobethan-cum-Italianate building style and immaculate gardens designed by none other than Capability Brown were ideal for the long-running and globally adored series, with the high ceilings and recognisable turrets more than capable of accommodating enormous Christmas trees (although, spoiler alert, many of the interior scenes were filmed in a studio in Ealing). And while Downton is probably the thing that’s made Highclere so noteworthy of late, it’s also featured in productions of Jeeves and Wooster, The Secret Garden, and even Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

Ariels view of historic Richmond Upon Thames

Ted Lasso

For this one, we could just say “the whole of Richmond-upon-Thames”, but keeping it Christmassy, we’ll narrow it down and try and make sure we’re focussing on the historic properties. The festive episode really did make this beautiful town look like fairyland, but most of the comedy moments happened in The Crown and Anchor pub, which is really The King’s Head. The 300-year-old-pub was one of the main reasons that the production crew settled on Richmond, and many a wintery pint has been pulled as we celebrated or commiserated over the team’s wins and losses. We’re also taking the unusual step of giving credit to an entire street – Paved Court – the picturesque alleyway where Ted rented his flat and was regularly seen walking and chatting with locals. In the festive episode, viewers enjoyed plenty of Ted moments – including him in a Santa hat. In Lasso terms, you could throw a football in any direction, and it would hit a listed mews house or shop front.

The Richard Curtis boxset

Let’s face it, it’s almost always Christmas in a Richard Curtis film, so we’re providing a posh selection box. In Love Actually, there were more ‘a-mews-ing’ scenes, including THAT one with Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightly and the cheesy message cards filmed by 27 St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill. We can also big up Selfridges (where Alan Rickman makes that massive gift error, most definitely listed), Downing Street, and Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair. Over in Notting Hill we witness Hugh Grant looking all wistful in Portobello Road across the year, with the gorgeously coloured background buildings playing the best supporting cast ever. And of course, there’s Bridget Jones’s Diary which is bursting with big-knickers Christmas moments and listed locations. Syon House in West London and Hall’s Piece in Snowshill, Gloucestershire are just two of the historical places that gives us the ideal Bridget/Christmas mash-up.

A Christmas Carol

We couldn’t have a festive film location list without referencing Dickens’ daddy of all seasonal tales, could we? Some of this is literary guesswork, but the evidence we “present” is the true gift of Christmas. Mansion House, EC4 is the Palladian-style grand and Grade 1 listed home of the Lord Mayor of London and appears early in the story as a template to how Christmas ought to be. Ebenezer Scrooge then moves his misanthropic self to what is likely to have been Simpson’s Tavern in EC3V for a meal for one. This chop house has been operating since 1757, and whether Dickens dined there for inspiration or not, it certainly contains a whole lot of history. Via his ghost-hosted journey through The Royal Exchange, Scrooge almost reaches journey’s end at Leadenhall Market as a changed and generous soul where he buys a plump turkey for the Cratchetts. While the usage may have shifted, these glorious corners of listed London remain busy all year.

This holiday season, whether you’re lighting a fire in your listed cottage, or thinking of paying a visit to a historic and festive site, we wish you and yours a happy, healthy time. And remember Abode Insurance is not just for Christmas… we’re here to protect your listed property for life.