Château la Villaine

Downstairs is spacious and light with huge blown-up paintings of famous landscapes or portraits and a suite of high-ceilinged rooms designed for entertaining: music room, drawing room, dining room (big enough to seat 14) and kitchen. Five bedrooms, three on the first floor and two up in the eaves, have comfy seating, long views, gorgeous bed linen and splashes of colour. All have swish, gleaming bathrooms with marble floors.

The huge island and oven make this an incredible place for those who adore to cook and there’s room for plenty of merry helpers, loads of prepping space and cupboards full of all you need to spice things up. Local treats like wine, honey or jam will be waiting for you. Book a massage, have a tennis lesson or a bit of fitness coaching if that’s what takes your fancy.

Spill out to eat on the terrace under the pleached lime trees, enjoy a bit of ping-pong, sprawl on the smooth lawns or take a bottle of wine and a picnic down to the meadow – families will feel very much at home and on holiday here.