In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

Boutique hotel next to Funchal’s 15th-century cathedral, with a champagne and lobster bar, rooftop cocktail bar and an excellent restaurant

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

Two comfortably converted farm buildings, with a shared pool on a gentle south-east sloping vineyard with wonderful views

Style, comfort and tranquillity combine in a lovely B&B near Bergerac. Sleep in elegant four-poster beds, breakfast on the sunny terrace…

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

A perfect spot with views of hills, forest and vines, below the beautiful village of Castelnau de Montmiral. Walks, wildlife, wine tours...

A lodge house in magnificent gardens, which are all yours when visitors leave. A sweet retreat for anyone, but gardeners will adore it

An upmarket, very comfortable old stone village house with tasty breakfasts and a sunny courtyard full of colourful flowers

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods

Fall asleep to the sound of the sea in your dreamy thatched cottage, one of 6, right on the beach for those head-clearing walks...

A converted old granary next to a traditional Welsh longhouse in a deeply rural setting for unfussy nature lovers

Stables turned into bright, comfortable holiday homes in countryside near Battle - for couples and families, whose dogs are very welcome too

There’s a calm feel to this three-storey cottage, close to the centre of Bridport and the beach. Great for families, walkers and dogs

Remote and rural, this cosy cottage is a slice of Welsh heaven, with plenty to do and see just a short drive away

There’s a Tuscan feel to this lovely, family-friendly place – walk to the sound of cicadas, stargaze, visit vineyards, markets and castles