Where was your favourite Christmas movie filmed?

Have you ever wondered where your favourite Christmas movie was filmed? Here at Civitatis, we’re already feeling the festive cheer and getting excited for Christmas. Of course, one of the best ways to get into the festive spirit is by watching our favourite Christmas movies, but what about visiting the very places where these Christmas classics were filmed?

If you’re not sure where to go, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are 8 Christmas film locations in the UK you can visit to see where your favourite festive flicks were filmed.

Warning: Not suitable for the Grinch!

London: Love Actually, Last Christmas, Bridget Jones’s Diary & This Is Christmas

While we don’t usually need an excuse to visit the UK’s vibrant capital, here’s another one! London has been chosen countless times as a Christmas film location due to its world-famous status and symbolic sights.

One of the nation’s favourite Christmas films would be Love Actually (2003), a classic Richard Curtis rom-com. On your next trip to London, you can pop into the Selfridges on Oxford Street to see the spot where Rowan Atkinson wraps Alan Rickman’s Christmas present in a torturously slow manner.

While you’re in London you can also visit Covent Garden, a district filled with shops and restaurants that makes numerous appearances on the silver screen. One of these would be as Emilia Clarke’s Christmas shop in the 2019 film Last Christmas.

Another classic British film shot in London would be Bridget Jones’s Diary. While this fan favourite isn’t technically a Christmas film, it begins and ends at Christmastime and includes plenty of festive cheer! You could visit Tower Bridge in London and stroll across the River Thames just like Renée Zellweger does in this 2001 classic. If you want to go into Tower Bridge, you can buy tickets here.

Given that you’re already at Tower Bridge, you might as well take the 19-minute walk to the Tobacco Dock in London. If you’re wondering which film this location relates to, it may mean you have something new to add to your list: This Is Christmas. This cosy, rom-com came out in December 2022, just in time for Christmas! It was filmed in various locations in London, as well as outside of London. At the Tobacco Dock, you’ll get to see where the Christmas party organised by Adam (Alfred Enoch) takes place. After watching the film, you’ll also see why Liverpool Street Station is a place you could visit to retrace Adam and Emma’s (Kaya Scodelario) steps. If you’re up for a slightly longer commute, you can hop on a train from Liverpool Street Station to Epping Ongar Railway Station to see the aesthetic railway station featured in the film.

You can explore all these places and more on our private tour of London, during which you’ll see the city’s most symbolic sights. If you’d prefer to see the city’s monuments adorned with Christmas lights, then you’ll love our sightseeing tour of London’s Christmas lights.

Brighton: The Snowman

One of our beloved Christmas classics would be The Snowman, an animated wordless television film that first graced our screens in 1982. You can see some of the places included in this animated film by visiting Brighton, a colourful seaside city in southern England. 

During their adventures, the boy and the snowman fly over the Brighton Palace Pier and the Royal Pavillion on their way to Norway to see the magical Northern Lights. While you won’t be able to go walking in the air all the way to Norway, you can still explore this Christmas film location and Brighton’s iconic monuments.

Yorkshire: Get Santa

How would you save Santa (or Jim Broadbent) if your family found him in your shed? In Get Santa (2014), a family has to tackle this very problem and save Christmas. Fans of this family comedy can visit some of the spots where the movie’s mishaps occur by taking a trip to northern England.

Visitors can also head to the beautiful region of Yorkshire and the city of Leeds to see the different locations chosen for this film. You could take a train through the North Yorkshire Moors or simply explore the bustling city of Leeds to bring the excitement of this prison-break adventure comedy to life.

Durham: The Harry Potter movies

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good… Let’s hope Santa doesn’t hear you say that! While we know that the Harry Potter movies aren’t Christmas films, for us there’s nothing like fond childhood memories to get us in the Christmas spirit! 

You can bring the magic of this celebrated book and film series to life by visiting one of the main filming locations: Durham Cathedral. This grand religious building was founded in 1093 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1986 due to its historic and cultural significance. 

During your visit to this historic building in Durham, you can see the place where the students of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry studied and spent their Christmas holidays. If you’re eager to visit some of the other places where Harry Potter was filmed, check out one of our other articles!

Bath: Wonka

Another way to revisit your childhood bookshelf would be with the upcoming prequel to Roal Dahl’s classic tale of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The new film, Wonka, will premiere in 2023 and star Timothée Chalamet as the eccentric chocolatier.

Many scenes in this predicted blockbuster were shot in Bath, a city in Somerset famous for its historic Roman baths. You can explore this city on one of our bus tours and try to guess which locations Timothée Chalamet has strolled through as a young and eccentric Willy Wonka.

Stratford-upon-Avon: Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!

For many of us, taking part in a Nativity play is a rite of passage in school. However, just like in the Nativity film series, it doesn’t always go smoothly!

The second instalment in the series was filmed in Stratford-upon-Avon, a beautiful market town in England. This charming town is also bursting with history, as it’s the birthplace and gravesite of William Shakespeare, perhaps the most well-known playwright and poet of all time. 

We recommend taking a trip to this Christmas film location and exploring the different places where David Tennant’s group of school children attempt to sing the best Christmas song possible.

Shere: The Holiday

If you’re after a quiet Christmas in a charming English village, then Shere would be the perfect place for you. This historic town in Surrey was the spot chosen for Kate Winslet’s house in the 2006 Christmas classic, The Holiday.

Often cited as one of the most beautiful villages in England, Shere has long been a popular destination for shooting blockbusters, making it the perfect Christmas film location. By hopping on a train from London, you too can explore the narrow streets and quaint shops visited by Cameron Diaz on her transatlantic adventure. If you’re after a warmer Christmas, you can make a trip across the pond to visit Amanda’s house in sunny Los Angeles!

Bristol: Doctor Who 2012 Christmas Special

Every Christmas, millions tune in to the festive episodes of the Doctor Who series, which holds a special place in the hearts of generations of Brits.

While many episodes of this sci-fi adventure series take place in different galaxies and time periods, the 2012 Christmas saw Matt Smith’s Doctor saving Bristol from vicious snowmen. 

The city of Bristol boasts classic Victorian-era architecture, making it the perfect setting for films set during this historical period. Those who wish to visit this city in Somerset can stroll around the 18th-century Portland Square… look out for snowmen!

From all of us here at Civitatis, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!