Christmas Books Set In England

I’ll be spending this Christmas exploring the United Kingdom and as always I like to enhance my travels with some literature set in my destinations. I thought I’d take things even further this trip and look not only for something set in the same place, but also at the same time. And so after endless hours of research, this list of Christmas books set in England came to be. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Christmas Books Set In England: An Introduction

Researching this list got me incredibly excited for my travels, however I was unprepared for the sheer number of Christmas books set in England! The immense number of titles makes it hard to choose, so I’ve divided them below based on the counties they’re set in (to the best of my knowledge) and in order of their year of publication.

There’s a little bit of something here for everyone. This list of Christmas books set in England includes classics, mysteries, crime, romance, chick lit and more. It’s also a constant work in progress; quite a few counties are still missing from the list, so (as always) please let us know your suggestions and tips in the comments below! 🎄

Also, just in case you’re looking for gifts for a book lover (or yourself!) I’ve put together a gift guide for readers who travel and a list of my all time favorite books from around the world.

Christmas Books Set In England

Berkshire Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry, 2003

Bristol Christmas Books

1. The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay, 1936

Buckinghamshire Christmas Books

1. Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews, 2011 (Also in Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Cambridgeshire Christmas Books

1. Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market by Heidi Swain, 2016 (Wynbridge, Cambridgeshire Fens)
2. Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain, 2017 (Wynbridge, Cambridgeshire Fens)
3. The Little Village Christmas by Sue Moorcroft, 2017 (fictional Middledip, Cambridgeshire Fens)
4. Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland by Heidi Swain, 2018 (Wynbridge, Cambridgeshire Fens)
5. A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft, 2018 (fictional Middledip, Cambridgeshire Fens)
6. The Christmas Wish List by Heidi Swain, 2019 (Wynbridge, Cambridgeshire Fens)

Cheshire Christmas Books

1. Treasure on Earth: A Country House Christmas by Phyllis Elinor Sandeman, 1995
2. Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar, 2019 (also set in Lapland)

Cornwall Christmas Books

1. Christmas in Cornwall by Marcia Willett, 2011
2. Christmas at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond, 2013 (Carrawn Bay, Cornwall)
3. Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey, 2013 (Grangemouth, Scotland and Poldore, Cornwall)
4. Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond, 2014
5. Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan, 2016 (Mount Polbearne, Cornwall)
6. A Cornish Christmas by Lily Graham, 2016
7. Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot, 2016
8. Christmas at the Cornish Café by Phillipa Ashley, 2016 (Kilhallon, Cornwall)
9. Christmas Promises at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot, 2017
10. A Perfect Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley, 2019 (Porthmellow, Cornwall)
11. A Cosy Christmas in Cornwall by Jane Linfoot, 2019
12. Single All the Way by Karen King, 2019

Cumbria Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Visitor by Anne Perry, 2004 (Lake District)
2. The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey, 2011 (Lake District)
3. A Vicarage Christmas by Kate Hewitt, 2017 (Thornwaite, Lake District)

Derbyshire Christmas Books

1. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan, 2013 (Lipton, Derbyshire)
2. The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan, 2014 (Lipton, Derbyshire)
3. A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews, 2018 (Derbyshire and London)

Devon Christmas Books

1. Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin, 2015 (White Cliff Bay, Devon)
2. Snowflakes on Silver Cove by Holly Martin, 2015 (White Cliff Bay, Devon)
3. Christmas at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry, 2018 (Everdene, Devon)

Dorset Christmas Books

1. Christmas at the Comfort Food Café by Debbie Johnson, 2016 (Budbury, Dorset)
2. A Very Vintage Christmas by Tilly Tennant, 2017 (Bournemouth, Dorset)

Essex Christmas Books

1. The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore, 2019

Gloucestershire Christmas Books

1. The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter, 1903 (Gloucester)
2. Murder in the Snow by Gladys Mitchell, 1950 (Cirencester and Cheltenham, Cotswolds)
3. Village Christmas by Laurie Lee, 2015 (Cotswolds, Gloucestershire)

Herefordshire Christmas Books

1. Murder at the Old Vicarage by Jill McGown, 1988 (set in Byford, assuming in Hereford)

Hertfordshire Christmas Books

1. Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews, 2013 (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and Lapland)

Isles of Scilly Christmas Books

1. Christmas at Mistletoe Cove by Holly Martin, 2017 (Hope Island)
2. Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley, 2017 (Gull Island)

Kent Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Guest by Anne Perry, 2004 (Romney Marshes, Kent)
2. A Christmas Gathering by Anne Perry, 2019

Lancashire Christmas Books

1. A Winter’s Tale by Trisha Ashley, 2008 (fictitious Sticklepond, Lancashire)
2. Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley, 2010 (Lancashire Moors)
3. A Christmas Cracker by Trisha Ashley, 2015
4. The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley, 2019 (Lancashire Moors)

London Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843
2. Crime at Christmas by C.H.B. Kitchin, 1934 (Hampstead)
3. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie, 1938
4. Love Actually by Richard Curtis, 2003
5. A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry, 2009
6. All I Want for Christmas by Amy Silver, 2010
7. A Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry, 2010
8. Christmas at Tiffany’s by Karen Swan, 2011 (New York, Paris and London)
9. Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan, 2012 (London and New York)
10. Christmas at Claridge’s by Karen Swan, 2013 (London and Portofino, Italy)
11. The Advent Killer by Alastair Gunn, 2013
12. A Christmas Hope by Anne Perry, 2013
13. The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson, 2014
14. Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan, 2014 (London and Zermatt, Switzerland)
15. Skating at Somerset House by Nikki Moore, 2014
16. The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas by Carole Matthews, 2015
17. The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements, 2015
18. The Christmas Card by Dilly Court, 2016
19. The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft, 2016 (London and fictional Middledip, Cambridgeshire Fens)
20. Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor, 2017 (London and Paris)
21. Covent Garden in the Snow by Jules Wake, 2017
22. One Christmas Kiss in Notting Hill by Mandy Baggot, 2017
23. Christmas in London: A Novel by Anita Hughes, 2017 (London and New York)
24. Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva, 2017
25. One Day in December by Josie Silver, 2018
26. Moonlight on the Thames by Lauren Westwood, 2018
27. A Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry, 2018
28. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory, 2019
29. We Met in December by Rosie Curtis, 2019
30. A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton, 2019 (East End)
31. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay, 2019
32. Wishes Under a Starlit Sky by Lucy Knott, 2019 (London and Colorado)

Merseyside Christmas Books

1. Christmas on the Mersey by Annie Groves, 2014 (Liverpool)
2. A Christmas Gift by Katie Flynn, 2019 (Liverpool)

Norfolk Christmas Books

1. A Christmas to Remember by Katie Flynn, 2013 (Norwich, Norfolk and Liverpool, Merseyside)
2. Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak, 2017 (Norfolk)
3. One Christmas Night by Hayley Webster, 2019 (Norwich)

Northumberland Christmas Books

1. The Cosy Christmas Tea Shop by Caroline Roberts, 2016
2. The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts, 2017
3. Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts, 2019

Nottinghamshire Christmas Books

1. Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran, 2019 (Sherwood Forest)

Oxfordshire Christmas Books

1. Death Comes at Christmas by Gladys Mitchell, 1936 (first published as Dead Men’s Morris)
2. Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater by Debbie Johnson, 2015 (Oxford)
3. A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt, 2016 (Wychwood-on-Lea, Cotswolds)

Shropshire Christmas Books

1. Last Christmas by Julia Williams, 2009 (fictional Hope Christmas, Shropshire and London)
2. A Merry Little Christmas by Julia Williams, 2012 (Hope Christmas, Shropshire)
3. Coming Home For Christmas by Julia Williams, 2014 (Hope Christmas, Shropshire)

Surrey Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Return by Anne Perry, 2017

Sussex Christmas Books

1. The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown, 2014 (Tindledale, fictional town inspired by authors hometown in rural Sussex)
2. A Christmas Tail by Cressida McLaughlin, 2015 (Fairview, near Brighton, East Sussex)

Tyne & Wear Christmas Books

1. Christmas with the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell, 2019 (Sunderland)

Yorkshire Christmas Books

1. A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry, 2011 (Whitby, Yorkshire)
2. A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson, 2012
3. A Yorkshire Christmas by Kate Hewitt, 2014
4. Christmas at Hope Cottage by Lily Graham, 2017 (Whistling, Yorkshire)
5. The Land Girls at Christmas by Jenny Holmes, 2017
6. Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage by Lucy Daniels, 2017 (Welford, Yorkshire Dales)
7. Snowflakes Over Moon Cottage by Lucy Daniels, 2018 (Welford, Yorkshire Dales)

Other: Fictional, Multiple or Unknown Locations

1. Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan, 1949 (Sherbroome Village)
2. A Country Christmas by Veronica Henry, 2002 (fictional Honeycote, Cotswolds)
3. Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh, 2003 (short stories)
4. A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry, 2006
5. With Love at Christmas by Carole Matthews, 2012
6. What Happens At Christmas by Victoria Alexander, 2012
7. A Snow Garden and Other Stories by Rachel Joyce, 2015
8. Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries by Various Authors 2015
9. The Mistletoe Murder And Other Stories by P.D. James, 2016
10. Murder Under the Christmas Tree by Various Authors, 2016
11. Christmas at the Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant, 2016 (Honeybourne)
12. The Christmas Stocking and Other Stories by Katie Fforde, 2017 (England and Scotland)
13. The Best Little Christmas Shop by Maxine Morrey, 2017
14. Christmas at the Dancing Duck by Daisy James, 2017 (Cranbury)
15. Christmas on the Coast by Rebecca Boxall, 2017 (Jersey, Channel Islands)
16. Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights by Carole Matthews, 2017 (Shropshire Union Canal and Milton Keynes)
17. A Christmas Wish by Erin Green, 2017 (Pooley)
18. Christmas At The Palace by Jeevani Charika, 2018
19. Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, 2019 (Letherby, outside London)
20. The Garden on Sparrow Street by Tilly Tennant, 2019 (Wrenwick)
21. A Christmas Wish and a Cranberry Kiss at the Cosy Kettle by Liz Eeles, 2019 (Honeyford, Cotswolds)
22. The Christmas Countdown by Donna Ashcroft, 2019 (Sunflower Island, English Channel)
23. The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street by Emma Davies, 2019 (part in London)
24. Christmas by the Lighthouse by Rebecca Boxall, 2019 (Jersey, Channel Islands)
25. The Christmas Holiday by Sophie Claire, 2019 (Willowbrook and Provence)

What do you think of these Christmas Books Set in England?

Know an amazing Christmas market or bookshop? Have a must-read that isn’t on the list? Can you help us fill in the missing counties? I’d love to hear more about your travel tips and reading recommendations for Christmas books set in England. Share your thoughts in the comments below! 🙏

Looking for more reading ideas?

If you’re looking for more Christmas books, check out our series for the holiday season:

• Christmas Books: Novels for the Holiday Season
• Christmas Books Set In England
• Christmas Books Set In America