How To Visit The Cute Village From The Holiday

The Christmas season has finally arrived, meaning it’s time to hunker down and (re)watch the best festive romcom ever made: The Holiday (2006). There, I said it. Starring Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black, not only is The Holiday extremely star-studded, wholesome and decently written but, almost 20 years on, it has aged well too.

With an old school home-swap at the centre, The Holiday follows American Amanda (Diaz) and British Iris (Winslet) who cross the Atlantic for Christmas having hit their respective romantic rock bottoms. Iris escapes to LA, where she finds both central heating and self-respect, while workaholic Amanda holes up in her charming Surrey cottage and is equally charmed by her brother, Graham (Jude Law).

The stand-out performer though has to be that village, with bags of charm sprinkled like snow on the narrow roads. If you’re similarly lovestruck, you might be wondering if you can visit. But, first thing’s first, is the village from The Holiday even real? Here’s everything you need to know.

Where Was The Holiday Filmed? (& How To Visit)

The small Surrey towns of Godalming and Shere were used as the main countryside filming locations during the production of The Holiday, chosen for their quintessential Britishness. Plus, they’re very close to London – handy for darting to and fro between sets and the film studios closer to London.

If those names aren’t ringing a bell, it’s probably because the village Amanda moves to in the film – and siblings Iris (Kate Winslet) and Graham (Jude Law) hail from – is never actually named. It is only Iris’ cosy home (which she swaps for glitzy LA) is given a name: Rosehill Cottage.

So is the house real? Sadly not: the exterior of Rosehill Cottage was built for filming, though it was based on the real Honeysuckle Cottage which was scouted by producers for being the ‘cutest, smallest, most English cottage’. Dating back to the 1700s, it situated in the nearby town of Holmbury St Mary. The set was constructed on a field near St James’s Church in Shere, a small agricultural village also in Surrey, and we see some of these local surroundings in The Holiday. Godalming meanwhile is a market town with many buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries; you might recognise it from Amanda’s shopping scenes.

Both make lovely daytrips should you wish to visit. Sadly, while Honeysuckle Cottage was previously listed on Airbnb in December 2022, it has since been removed and remains a private property.

More The Holiday Filming Locations

The White Horse, Shere

This Surrey pub appears as itself in The Holiday, with Amanda and Graham visiting for a drink. Visit to soak up their star power – and revel in the pub’s storied history, with its Grade II listed building dating back to 1425.

Wonersh

For Graham’s home, Mill House in Wonersh was used, another pretty Surrey village brimming with character.

San Marino, California

While Amanda holidays in the British countryside, she lends her mammoth house to Iris, which is tucked in a secluded part of California. The real house is in a small but wealthy city in Los Angeles County: San Marino. In fact, little San Marino is one of the wealthiest places in the nation in terms of household income.

Cornwell Manor, Oxfordshire

When Amanda and Graham eventually go on an actual date, Cornwell Manor near Chipping Norton provides a picture perfect backdrop.

Where To Stream The Holiday

Brits are in luck this Christmas: The Holiday is currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer. You can also find it on Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix.