The quaint charm and beauty of UK cottages mean that they are often turning up on our screens as part of television and movie sets.
But did you know that many of the properties that you’ve seen on the big screen can also be visited or rented in real life, too? At Cherished Holiday Homes, we love all cottages, and especially the famous ones. If you’re looking for a holiday with a hint of razzle-dazzle, then take a read below, where we outline our pick of some of the finest and most charming cottage homes as seen on TV and in film.
- Atonement
Atonement is a tragic story all on its own, but the sadness was only ramped up by the inclusion of Robbie’s idyllic retreat. It signified the life that the soldier may have had after the war, if things had gone to plan (but they didn’t). If you were taken by the cottage and wider landscape during the movie, then look at paying a visit. It’s located on the East Sussex Coast, at the mouth of River Cuckmere. While there you’ll be able to see just what was keeping Robbie’s morale high during the war in the movie, which was nominated for seven Oscars and brought global attention to the stunning natural beauty of the region.
- Far From the Madding Crowd
The traditional and picturesque nature of cottages means that they — and the wider landscape — often turn up in period television shows and movies. The 2015 version of Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel, which starred Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba, made the most of English rural life. Filmed in the Shaftesbury region of Dorset, visitors to the area can relive key scenes from Far From The Madding Crowd, as well as other television highlights of the Gold Hill area — including the famous 1973 Hovis ad. During your visit, make sure you’re staying at Uptown Cottage, which was awarded five stars for luxury by Visit Britain and even features a music room with a baby grand piano.
- Game of Thrones
Has there been a show that’s captured the imagination of the public more than Game of Thrones? Not in our book. While the shows’ universe may have been fictional, there are real-world counterparts that stood in for the locations in the television shows. Journey into the heart of the Stark Family by booking a stay at The Potter’s Cottage on Castle Ward Estate. This lovely single-story stone is located on the shores of the picturesque Strangford Lough and Castle Ward Estate. Just a short journey from Belfast, the historic location was used in season one of Game of Thrones (pre-dragons, so don’t worry about roaming beasts).
- Jane Eyre
If you’re a Charlotte Bronte fan, then look at paying a visit to White Edge Lodge, a cottage that stood in for Moor House in the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre. It contains everything you’d want from a magical retreat into Bronte’s world: it’s in a beautiful rural area with fantastic views of the Peak District, and it also has a wood-burning stove, fireplace, and roll-top bath. In the film, White Edge Lodge was used as the home of the Rivers family, who take in the protagonist after she runs away from Mr. Rochester. You’ll be in better spirits than Jane during your stay; surrounded by heather-covered moorland, the cottage simply oozes romance.
- Poldark
Fans of Poldark will want to consider a trip to the Lacombe Cottage for their next holiday. It played a starring role as Captain Blamey’s house in the most recent season of the television shows. Located in Port Quin in Cornwall, it features all the tell-tale signs of a traditional Cornish cottage: low ceilings, open beams, and a solid fuel stove, all which add plenty of charm and character to the former fisherman’s cottage.
6.Poirot
Fans of Agatha Christie can take a trip to Devon’s Greenway State, which had both professional and personal significance for the celebrated author. As well as being the location of Christie’s beloved holiday home, it was also used as a filming location for the 2013 ITV adaptation of Dead Man’s Folly, which starred David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. At Greenway, you’ll find four-holiday cottages: The Lodge, Ferry Cottage, South Lodge, and an apartment that’s located within the house itself.
- Sense and Sensibility
It comes as no surprise that picturesque UK cottages appear again and again on our screens for period television shows. For the 2008 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the BBC used Blackpool Mill as a stand-in for Barton Cottage. Located on the Hartland Abbey estate in Devon, the four-bedroom cottage has all the staples we look for in this type of property, including a cosy sitting room, large kitchen, open fire, and a wood burner. It’s the perfect base from which to explore the area’s beaches and historic churches.
- Sherlock
Fans of the hit BBC television show Sherlock, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, will recognise Tyntesfield, which is located near to Bristol. It was a key filming location for The Abominable Bride, the 2016 New Year’s Day special episode. You’ll have a chance to stay at three-holiday cottages at Tyntesfield, including Chaplain’s House and Chaplain’s Lodge, both of which have been restored to their original Victorian grandeur.
- Tamara Drewe
In the scenic valley of Salwayash on the English Channel coast, you’ll find a picturesque, detached cottage name Stonefield that played a starring role as a fictional writers’ retreat in the romantic comedy Tamara Drewe. One of the characters in the film proclaimed the area to be paradise, and you’re likely to have the same assessment after spending a few days surrounded by the beautiful nature of the region.
- The Holiday
Do Christmas flicks get cosier than The Holiday? Nope, nope, nope, they just don’t exist. While you can’t stay in the same cottage as city-girl Amanda (it’s unfortunately not real), you can pay a visit to Slatters Cottage in the Cotswolds, which reportedly inspired the look.