Cosy boltholes

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

A romantic little bolthole with a hot tub on the Penicuik Estate with well-thought-out interiors and dreamy views over pastures and woodland

Your very own love nest: frolic in the outdoor rolltop, hunker by the wood-burner, bask in the gardens... near Lakes and Dales

A sculptor's studio, flooded with light, converted into a restful holiday home with wellbeing treatments surrounded by glorious countryside, near Totnes

Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

A cosy nest on the ramparts of an ancient fishing port, with sparkling lagoon views from a top-floor living area

A contemporary rooftop room in a warmly civilised B&B filled with books and lovely things – stunning view too

Come for huge skies, birds and wildlife, rare flora and fauna, precious pingo ponds and a comforting retreat from the hectic whirl

An airy, well-designed hideaway for two in an ancient barn on a quiet farm. This is prime walking country with Hadrian’s Wall nearby.

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

An elegant one-bedroom apartment with lovely medieval church views, set within a stunning Georgian property in the Wye Valley AONB

An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

A pretty stone single-storey house, now renovated beautifully into a comfortable hideaway with wonderful views to woodland and river

Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

Climb Snowdon - or take the train. Swim, cycle, visit Nat Trust houses. A deliciously quirky retreat for 2 (and babe-in-arms) near Anglesey

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

A lovely old house and rambling garden in a medieval village with a monumental château, 12th-century church and a good local restaurant

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome