Lavender shortbread and baked peaches for breakfast at this most artistic of homes. The courtyard with magnolia and orange trees is lovely

An old-world inn full of colour, with open fires, cosy rooms, local food and the magnificent Northumberland National Park all around

Your own cottage sitting room downstairs and a swish bedroom up – breakfast in the courtyard before venturing forth to discover Canterbury

Gorgeous rooms, delicious food, gardens and lake to explore, a spoiling spa with indoor pool and much comfort between moors and the sea

Come for a spot of high-end cossetting with big, beautiful bedrooms, good food and far-reaching views in the Northumberland National Park

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

A beautiful 18th-century manor house on a productive wine estate with an enticing garden, spa and pool by a nature reserve. Views soar

The oldest of three secluded cottages that share a gravel courtyard and a beautiful garden with cathedral views

A romantic and very comfortable retreat in a smartly converted dairy with a pretty garden, close to the South Downs

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

A country idyll in the hills. Only 15 mins from Faro, but all is peaceful: dip in the pool, sip a cocktail in the shade, book in for dinner

Take your pick from guided horse-trekking to grand banqueting at this traditional château; drive to explore WWI history and the lovely coast

Gaze on Umbrian hills as the children play, watch the fireflies dance at night. Dine fabulously in Gubbio - or here. Sociable-family bliss

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

A beautifully renovated traditional manor house with extensive gardens and orchard, a pool with a deck in a meadow and a terrace for dining

Exceptional generosity reigns at this complex of 5 excellent, colourful holiday apartments, with pool and meals, on the Sorrento Peninsula