Love Actually filming locations from Downing Street scenes to Colin Firth’s house

The Christmas season is here, and what better way to get into the festive spirit than by watching Love Actually. The hit film tells the love stories of different characters during the holiday season, from heartache to romantic gestures.

As most of the film was shot in London, movie fans can visit many of the filming locations. From the street where Mark (Andrew Lincoln) iconically declares his love for Juliet (Keira Knightley) with cards, to Selfridge’s where Harry (Alan Rickman) buys a necklace for someone who isn’t his wife. Let’s take a look at some of the Love Actually filming locations used for iconic scenes in the film, as reported by The Mirror. We’ve even organised the list based on which storylines they feature in.

David and Natalie

The Prime Minister David (Hugh Grant) falls in love with Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) when she begins working for him at Downing Street, but the real-life Number 10 wasn’t used for filming. Richard Curtis was allowed to visit the iconic location under supervision, before heading to Shepperton Studios in Surrey where sets were recreated based on what he had seen.

When David goes to find Natalie to tell her he loves her at the end of the film, he heads to the “dodgy end of Wandsworth” where she said she lived. This scene wasn’t actually filmed in Wandsworth, but instead, the cast and crew went to Poplar Road in Herne Hill to shoot the scenes where David and his driver go door-to-door.

Peter, Juliet and Mark

Grosvenor Chapel was the setting for when Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Keira Knightley) get married. As for the iconic scene where Mark tells Juliet that he loves her using only large cards? St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill provided a picturesque setting thanks to its cobbled pave stones and colourful pastel-hued houses.

Harry and Karen

When Harry (Alan Rickman) goes to buy a gold necklace that most definitely isn’t for his wife Karen (Emma Thompson), he does so at the world-famous department store Selfridge’s. It’s also here where Rowan Atkinson’s character does the most elaborate gift wrapping.

St Christopher’s Place was also used for filming when the couple are out and about running errands together.

Jamie and Aurelia

Jamie (Colin Firth) escapes to a breathtaking lakeside house after discovering his wife’s infidelity – and the best part is that the charming home isn’t a set, but a real place. The farmhouse in the French town of Vidauban, located on Chemin du Roucas Troucas, is a real location from Love Actually.

It overlooks the lake and has rustic chic interiors, but it’s a private residence, so you can’t book a holiday there. The restaurant where Jamie declares his love for Aurelia is also real – it’s the cosy Le Bar de la Marine in Marseille.

Daniel, Sam, Joanna and Carol

When Daniel and Sam have their heart-to-heart chat about love and loss, they’re sitting on a bench at Gabriel’s Wharf on South Bank. The Christmas concert scene, where Sam plays the drums to impress Joanna, was filmed at Ark Putney Academy in Pullman Gardens.

Carol’s funeral scene was shot at St. Paul’s Clapham on Rectory Grove.

More filming locations

The opening and closing credits show people hugging their loved ones at Heathrow Airport. These scenes were filmed with hidden cameras at the arrivals hall in Heathrow’s Terminal 3 – the crew would film touching moments and then ask people if they could use the footage in the film.

But the final scene, where all the storylines come together at Heathrow with various characters returning from trips, was actually filmed at Epsom Downs Racecourse. Ark Putney Academy in Pullman Gardens was the venue for the festive concert where key scenes, like David and Natalie’s smooch and Joanna’s rendition of All I Want for Christmas is You, were filmed.

And those iconic London views? They include Trafalgar Square, Somerset House, the Millennium Bridge, Lambeth Bridge and London City Hall.

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