Tradition and comfort on the border with Wales, a welcoming country-house hotel with warm rooms, pretty gardens and delicious food

Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

Coffee served in silver cups & cakes are homemade in this duke’s palace, a throwback to the Moorish kingdom - a Sawday's Community Champion

Come for plenty of space and wonderful views to the Pyrenees on clear days from this converted outbuilding in the grounds of a château

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

Find beauty and tranquillity on this historic Dordogne estate for up to fourteen - plus a feast of designer colour and a fine pool to share

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

One of five cottages on the Wern Estate, all comfort and charm, with a garden for kids, rockpools at Black Rock Sands and a mountain railway

An ancient building filled with beauty and sitting in the quietest SSSI valley, criss-crossed by medieval drove ways buzzing with wildlife

Log fires smoulder, rooms are comfortable, the food is delicious and there's bags of character at this old village pub – once a cider house

A historical building in the heart of town, now a small hotel with swimming pool, delicious breakfasts, smart bedrooms and helpful staff

Italian style marries Californian comfort, with views over hilltop towns, vineyards and the majestic Sibillini mountains beyond

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

A trulli hamlet immersed in nature, on the wilder side of Puglia with visits to white-washed hilltop towns and cooking with Nonna Maria

Comfortable home with wood fires, gracious bedrooms and convivial living rooms. The drive is full of blossom and daffodils in spring

A magical Scottish Baronial-style house with stunning valley views; stroll to good restaurants, explore the spectacular Borders

A cottage for two on a wonderfully eco wine school and vineyard. Gaze at magnificent views from your terrace