Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes

Charming farm cottage in a meadow next to ancient woodland and with breathtaking views. A haven for bird-watchers and walkers

A chilled, family-friendly hotel on a sandy surfing beach with huge views and a sensational pool with sustainability at its heart

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

You'll feel at home in this immaculate yet cosy 1800s brick and pantile cottage with a pretty patio and stunning views across the Lincolnshire Wolds

Enjoy the wine festival, cycling and hiking in spring and early summer, the truffles in November, and warm hospitality all year round

Ideal for families: pool, tennis and golf at the hotel with beach and yachting nearby. Comfortable bedrooms and a terrace for outdoor dining

Comfortable, understated, spotless and authentic – a modest family hideaway on Brittany’s stunning Crozon Peninsula (think Land’s End...)

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

Burrowed into the olive groves of the lush Valle d’Itria, a restored masseria with five trulli, an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub and lovely views

Wonky floors and handmade beds in a restored coaching inn for 4, 6 or 8 - sociable evenings round the farmhouse table, walks from the door

Slowly does it at a rustic haven run with infectious enthusiasm and kindness by a truffle hunter with a passion for nature and food

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

Come for fine food and drink, sumptuous bedrooms and a relaxed, informal atmosphere at this gorgeous Cotswold manor house with ancient roots

Spacious house with a big garden, a swimming pool and all home comforts; the beach and good restaurants are less than 10 minutes away

Gorgeous small hotel perfectly placed for the magical Dales - stylish bedrooms, open fires, lovely staff and pretty gardens all wait

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