Glorious Elizabethan manor house lovingly furnished with exceptional art and antiques by its welcoming owners

Creative owners have made a gorgeous, arty space for couples or a small group of friends; good beaches and Salcombe are close

Come with friends for a cookery course, or with the kids, and enjoy the creative feel of the place - and the food! Venice 40 mins by train

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

A fine designer house and pool above the coastal hurly-burly and one of the loveliest coves in Spain, backing onto a nature park. Happy hols

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

A pretty little cottage in a holiday hamlet surrounded by fields, just a stone's throw from the coast and Binic for happy escapes

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Fringing Tuscany countryside and fun Montone, an authentic Umbrian mansion with Slow Food, lavender fields, apartments and pool. Pure Italy

Part of the original Wensleydale creamery overlooking the river, with bustling Hawes and great walking country right on your doorstep

Rustic, sophisticated, relaxed, charming… ancient Follonico is all these things, and gazes on the loveliest hills in Tuscany

A small, delightful hotel, perched on a high hill within a 14th-century convent with stunning views, garden and pool - very special indeed

Bask in the warmth of the owners at this chic 'maison de maître' in off-track Provence - 12km from lovely hilltop Gordes

Just one hour from London, this remarkable house sits on a unique family-owned Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey

A great base for Stratford and beyond – expect a peaceful village, smart rooms, local ales, tasty food and a happy vibe throughout

A dramatic house with stylish interiors – designed to bring the outdoors in so you feel wrapped in nature. Great for families or friends

Beautiful, fresh townhouse with spoiling touches just outside the city walls of Canterbury. Whitstable close by, eateries a walk away

Converted stables in the grounds of a manor house in a peaceful village just outside Banbury with lovely walking in the Cherwell Valley