Many of us New Englanders love Hallmark Christmas movies but wish more were filmed in our six-state region. Some of those movies have small-town New England themes but were actually filmed in Canada!
As an early Christmas gift, however, the Hallmark Channel fulfilled our wish to see more New England-based movies by recently filming One Royal Holiday in Connecticut! This new movie — captured in Woodstock, Putnam and Hartford — premiered Oct. 31, 2020 on the Hallmark Channel. Many of the scenes took place at the Inn At Woodstock Hill, as well as the Inn at Bald Hill in Woodstock, Conn. How thrilling to see one of our favorite towns and inns (The Inn at Woodstock Hill) in the movie!
The Hartford Courant also reported that Hallmark filmed other scenes at the privately-owned “Christmas Castle” in Woodstock, Woodstock Academy, Baker’s Dozen doughnut shop in Putnam, and in Hartford at the Connecticut Convention Center and Bond Ballroom. Additionally, The Courant wrote that Avon, Conn. resident Julie Wolfe wrote the fine screenplay, brought to movieland with five Broadway stars signed on to act in the film. Impressive!
One Royal Holiday stands as one of the better Hallmark Christmas movies with an excellent storyline and some great interaction between the leads (Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit). Taking place in the fictional town of Kentsbury but mostly in the very real, authentic northeast Connecticut region, the story centers around a Connecticut woman who welcomes two snowbound travelers of European royalty. She encounters a handsome, somewhat snobby young man and his kind mother-in-law and invites them to stay at her father’s quaint bed and breakfast to prevent them from being stranded with nowhere to go during some turbulent winter weather. As expected, a relationship builds between the Connecticut woman and the young man.
Located in the accurately-named Quiet Corner of Connecticut region, Woodstock possesses a delightful village-like setting — perfect for a Hallmark movie — with one big beautiful historic home after another (including the stunning Roseland Cottage. The Inn at Woodstock Hill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, majestically resides on 14 acres Plain Hill which is surrounded by scenic rolling hills. Built in 1816, the Inn at Woodstock Hill consists of a Federal/Georgian style mansion with a carriage house, two barns, some rooms containing four-poster beds and working gas fireplaces and, overall, loads of traditional New England charm. What’s more, this wonderful inn is just a few miles from Putnam, a most charming small town featuring more than 50,000 square ft. of antique shopping and lively dining out scene with plenty of locally-owned and operated restaurants.
I hope you get to view this excellent movie and take in all the quaint charm of the Quiet Corner of Connecticut!
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