Dorset

Two lovely old cottages, part of the 1700 stable block on the St Giles estate, with 5,000 acres to roam, for walkers and peace seekers

Generous, fun house, perfect for family gatherings. Head down the hill for sandy beaches or let kids and dogs run wild on the Purbeck coast

A serene restaurant-hotel on Chesil beach, with a perfect view of the big blue sea. How restorative can a hotel be?

A super old place for those who love history and Thomas Hardy. Come for enjoyable gastropub food and comfortable, traditional bedrooms

A quintessentially English thatched village cottage with the working post box set in the front wall, sunny patio and garden with pond

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

Breathtaking views, coastal walks, wildflowers and pretty beaches. Return to a garden with a tropical feel, helpful hosts and sunny rooms

Tucked down a lane in an iconic village with an ancient dew pond, this thatched cottage is filled with art, sculpture and surprises

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

Foodies and sociable souls will enjoy this lively B&B in a pretty honey-coloured stone cottage with a garden and a very friendly owner

An attractive, seaside hotel with an airy, contemporary feel - chic interiors, an excellent restaurant and big sea views await

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

A village setting for this family-friendly cottage-in-a-row with private garden next to the owners' pretty 17th-century thatched house

Comfortable, traditional, accessible and in the grounds of an old rectory with meadows and the river Frome nearby for summer dips

A Georgian townhouse in the heart of historic Sherborne with friendly staff, delicious breakfasts, walled garden and spoiling mini spa

An elegant home with an easy atmosphere – Andrea is a great host. Comfortable bedrooms with window seats overlook the pretty walled gardens

You have your own entrance to a private wing with a garden and an elegant sitting room. Bedrooms are beautiful and breakfast scrumptious

By a lake, enclosed by woodland - a contemporary house and barn, full of handmade furniture – laze in a hammock, walk the Jurassic Coast