Six of the best … Christmas movie homes
With Christmas only a few weeks away, we take a look at six of the best properties which have featured in Christmas movies over the years! Above, is of course, world renowned Highclere Castle, which dates back to 749 when Bishop William of Wykeham built a beautiful medieval palace in the grounds – these days it is instantly recognisable to most as Downton Abbey.
Home Alone
Released in 1990 and featuring one of the most popular and beloved movie houses ever, the Colonial style home where young Kevin is left ‘home alone’, is situated in Winnetka, Illinois. The perfect Christmas house, many of the scenes were filmed in the actual home and several of the crew also stayed there during filming!
The Holiday
Hard to believe, but the picture perfect cottage Cameron Diaz escapes to in The Holiday doesn’t actually exist! Honeysuckle Cottage in Holmbury St Mary provided inspiration for the crew who designed it in 2006. It took just two weeks to construct the ‘cottage’, which was just an empty shell, in the small village of Shere, Surrey. Adding fake snow and ice to the house created the perfect fairytale Christmas cottage.
Love Actually
A stone’s throw from Portobello Market, St Luke’s Mews in London was made famous by the scene in which Mark, played by Andrew Lincoln, declared his love for Juliet, played by Keira Knightley, using a series of cue cards. Originally constructed as stables in the 18th century, Juliet’s rose pink mews house was worth around £1million when the film was made in 2003.
Elf
This 2003 family-favourite stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, the human who believes he is an elf! On returning to New York, he tracks down his father living on the magnificent Upper West Side of Manhattan, an historic community with its collection of architectural landmarks and cultural treasures. A recently renovated one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo in a 1960’s block, with city views, was recently for sale at $1.045 million.
The House on Honeysuckle Lane
Based on the book by Mary Donough and filmed in 2018, The House on Honeysuckle Lane, is a grand Victorian mansion built in 1873 for Silas Robbins. Standing in an acre of manicured lawns and gardens in the heart of the historic district of Wethersfield, Connecticut, the property now operates as a fabulous Bed & Breakfast, an ideal location for a Christmas holiday!
Miracle on 34th Street
Originally released in 1947, an updated version of the holiday classic was made in 1994 starring Mara Wilson as Susan Walker, a little girl who dreams of living in the famous yellow house. Susan’s dream house which features at the end of the movie is in Lake Forest, Illinois and was on the market in 2015 for $3.4million.