A gentle, calm, immaculate place for an all-season family stay, near wine tastings, castles, caves and canoeing. Everyone loves the Dordogne

Cosy Lakeland stone barn in acres of peaceful countryside for walkers, wildlife lovers and those wishing for a retreat

A lovingly restored ancient farmhouse surrounded by wildlife-rich countryside just two miles from stunning beaches – a place to mend

Airy interiors, good local food and a blissful rural setting for this refurbished inn, popular with locals and with a happy, bustling vibe

Up, up and away to this stunning cottage perched 1400 feet high in the National Park with big skies, grand walks and much comfort indoors

Come for big, peaceful bedrooms with views, delicious home cooked breakfasts and riverside strolls through ancient beech woodland

Historic, indulgent, atmospheric – and the Contessa is so warm. Vineyards, restaurants, operas, walks...La dolce vita on Slovenia's border

Laze under the loggia, drink in superb, sweeping Umbrian views and wine from the vines beyond the pool; sleep peacefully in grand style

A wonderful surprise inside this 1590 house sitting in a beautiful walled garden full of fruit trees, just off the High Street

A traditional cottage in Polruan on the Fowey estuary with harbour and cove views and a tea shop and two pubs in the village

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

The views are sensational, the bedrooms full of charm and higgledy-piggledy beams. Sip Perigord Noir on the terrace and amble to the market

A well-equipped cottage with a big beautiful garden and murmuring brook. Come for peace, wildlife, a welcome cocktail, and grand walking

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

A cosy and pretty old cottage for rest or romance, with garden and pool in a small hamlet surrounded by walnut orchards and mixed woodland

Beautifully refurbished inn with good food, calming rooms and the South Downs all around. Chichester, Petworth and Goodwood are close

A celebration of all things Somerset in a thatched village opposite the church and close to National Trust Barrington Court and Gardens