A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

Families can unwind at this lovely old higgledy-piggledy farmhouse in typical southern Algarve style, with a big pool and lush greenery

Come for very comfortable B&B suites with garden views in a converted 1880s barn with its own charming sitting and dining rooms

Restored stone barn on a farm in the Lake District National Park, with views of fields and woods and an excellent pub nearby

A medieval monastery, stunningly revived, in untouristy, car-free Pisciotta. Sip greco on the terrace; scramble through olives to the sea

Built in the 1800s, a charming stone house on the Penicuik Estate with views over woodland and hills and calming, beautiful interiors

Beautiful, and with a delightfully rambling garden, this early 16th-century manor has bags of room for happy days with family or friends

A rural idyll with a hot tub under starlit skies and surrounded by gorgeous countryside in the South Lakes within a hop of vibrant Cartmel

Come for peace, comfort and beauty in a sunny corner of Provence at the foot of Mont Ventoux. Cafes, market, restaurants a 15-minute stroll!

An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

An entire literary estate on the Brittany coast, with a trio of restored houses, fabulous gardens and a private path to the beach

A gracious 17th-century manor house and a pretty Grange hidden down a tree-lined drive and with stunning views over woodlands

Come to this cosy barn down a winding lane for a back-to-nature escape: hike the Black Mountains, splash in the stream, gaze at the views

A special place indeed, particularly for honeymooners and lovers. It's steeped in history & romance with delightful gardens to roam at will

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food