Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

A cosy bolthole near Paris's best museums, monuments and churches. A peaceful sleep and simple buffet breakfast set you up for sightseeing

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

A lavish makeover for this roadside pub, now a boutique inn with clever design, delicious food and supremely comfortable bedrooms

A peaceful, very stylish bolthole for 2 on the doorstep of glorious Holyrood Park, with Edinburgh’s sights a stroll away

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

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

Hideaway at the bottom of the garden with a little courtyard and far-reaching views; walk to the village pub or take a day trip to Bath

Come for the great outdoors. Return to your base - one of two independent cottages secluded in softly rolling Breton countryside

Charming gardens for you and your dog in a barn conversion in rural Norfolk half an hour from coast

Come for strawberries in summer, walnuts in winter, and a wonderful welcome all year round. Thierry and Charlotte are living their dream

A smart village local with original timber frames, a lively bar, elegant rooms and delicious food from the fields around you

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

The views are breathtaking over forest and field from this lovely barn conversion on a working farm, for special gatherings

Walkers and wild-lifers, here is your place in the Pyrenees. Colour, character, a welcoming family, log fires and delicious home cooking