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 confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

Château apartments with a heated pool, parkland and a menagerie - Gold Beach and the British Normandy Memorial are on the doorstep

Sheep's Head Way is reputedly one of the best walks in Ireland. Come back to roaring fires, a Rayburn, art and style – terrific restorations

Comfortable, traditional, accessible and in the grounds of an old rectory with meadows and the river Frome nearby for summer dips

A 200-year-old cortijo in a totally tranquil spot with gated pool, two acres of grounds, an orchard and olive terraces with mountain views

A relaxed country feel in this fine family villa. It has space and comfort for six with gardens, private pool, and tennis court

Bright, cosy cottage in a quiet Devon village, four miles from Totnes, with two good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom

A beautifully converted dairy with a magical garden in a quiet village surrounded by lovely countryside

A 17th-Century Irish castle on the water’s edge. Watch the yachts from your bedroom, join local wine nights, discover the rich history

A smart riverside inn with airy interiors that brim with character – old beams, open fires, well-kept ales and comfy bedrooms

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

Medieval manor house and busy farm. A welcoming atmosphere, big bedrooms, breakfast in the baronial great hall by the cosy log fire

A smartly renovated 250-year-old brick and flint built inn, tucked away in a sleepy village beneath the glorious South Downs

A sweet retreat for a nature-loving couple, with soul-searching views and the smell of the sea. Logs and Breton cider are on the house...

A cosy, beautifully refurbished flat in a Georgian house bang in the middle of the unspoilt town with its pretty streets and houses

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area

Understatedly stylish with French antiques, sofas and balconies overlooking town and gardens. A grown-ups' retreat, 200m from the ocean