Charming UK market town that feels frozen in time and straight out of The Holiday
- UK Hidden Gems
- Dec 29, 2025
- 2 min read
If The Holiday is your favourite Christmas film, there is a lovely UK town you will want to add to your bucket list, as it lets you feel a bit like Cameron Diaz on a festive escape, even if meeting Jude Law is very unlikely.
We recently spent a weekend in this pretty town in Yorkshire with friends, and straight away it felt like stepping into a scene from the much loved Christmas film, especially the sweet village where Cameron Diaz’s character stays.
The main cobbled street is full of antique shops, tea rooms and fish and chip shops, along with a few cosy pubs with crackling fires, filling roasts and pints that are not too expensive.
Most visitors we saw were walkers and families, so while there were tourists around, it never felt crowded.
We never struggled to find a table anywhere, which was a real bonus, especially on days when the weather was not great.
The town is also packed with beautiful stone cottages. Think neat flower boxes, small front gardens, picket fences and cute decorations that make you want to stop and take photos every few steps.
The whole place feels like time has stood still, in the nicest way. We stopped at the Castle Keep Tea Rooms, which has around six tables, a warm fireplace and comfy armchairs.
They served tasty breakfasts, sandwiches and cakes, and I could easily have stayed there all afternoon.
Middleham Castle is also well worth a visit. The ruins are impressive, and if you manage the narrow staircase, you are rewarded with fantastic views across the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Adult tickets start from £9.50, with more details available on the English Heritage website.
Getting around the town is easy on foot, mainly because it only takes about 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other. Just be aware that the streets are quite steep and hilly.
Even though Middleham looks like it could have been used as a filming location for The Holiday, it was not actually used in the film.
For the real filming spots, you need to visit the villages of Shere and Godalming in Surrey, where most of the outdoor scenes were shot.
With their postcard cottages, traditional pubs with wooden beams and roaring fires, and lovely woodland walks, it is easy to see why they were chosen.
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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