View-filled, beautifully converted and toasty warm, this old donkey shed is perfect for walkers, cyclists, peace-seekers and lovers

It's not often you get an entire hamlet to yourselves but here it is – 10 traditional stone houses with big communal spaces in rural bliss

A very special farmhouse in a peaceful valley for memorable get-togethers with friends or family, just 20 minutes from the Jurassic Coast

Refined B&B in a pretty forest setting just north of the French Basque country, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and delicious food

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

Sitting next to the church in the most picturesque village in England, this ancient, handsome cottage is packed with historical interest

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

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

Swim in the pool overlooking vineyards, try the wines and oil made onsite, get cosy by log fires or head to the nearby beach

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

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

Historic pub with immaculate new bedrooms and a happy atmosphere. A waterside terrace for summer, blazing open fires for winter

The old family house, all antiques, mementoes and period atmosphere, has fine big rooms and high-modern Italian showers. A lovely owner, too

Warm family hospitality, magnificent surroundings, bedroom breakfasts, candlelit dinners and elegant windows overlooking the park

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

A small, charming house with ravishing sea views within walking distance of a bohemian coastal village at the foot of the Teix mountain