Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

Once a pub, now a friendly home, with all you need for a market town break. Park the car (or leave at home) – everything is on the doorstep

Chic barn conversion with a swimming pool and country walks from the door; nearby Ventnor has a beach and great places to eat and drink

A cracking spot for this thatched and beamed 17th-century village inn with lovely gardens, just a half-mile stroll from Lulworth Cove

In a small village on the borders, a Jacobean farmhouse luxuriously restored with lovely touches; the Brecon Beacons are close by

An open-plan kitchen, sunny terrace and fruitful gardens shine at this private hillside villa. From here, it's easy to ski, swim or sunbathe

Three gîtes in the Dordogne with panoramic countryside views and a swimming pool – book individually or together for a group holiday

Come for the gorgeous, wild North York Moors and this very pretty 1911 stone cottage in the grounds of an elegant manor house

Adorable cottage with a Highland lodge feel – walk straight into the hills, swim in the Spey, relax in the whisky room and sitooterie

A sculptor's studio, flooded with light, converted into a restful holiday home surrounded by glorious countryside, near Totnes

Take up residence in central London, surrounded by good places to eat. You have your own vast open-plan living space, light and lovely

A perfectly romantic and gorgeously restored bothy in a garden on a hillside by the sea, with grand views over the mountains of Skye

Superb views, generous hosts and roof terrace sunsets in a peaceful village between coast and countryside – authentic and full of charm

High in the heavenly hills is this very smartly converted farm building, with underfloor heating, much glass, wood and exposed brickwork

Return to warming fires after hiking in Ireland's highest mountains. Two traditional cottages on the outskirts of pretty Killorglin

A fin-de-siècle Franco-Scottish décor for this hospitable, entertaining B&B, in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter

You’re right in the midst of Portuguese life here: cafés, shops and restaurants buzz and there are panoramic views from the roof terrace

An eco B&B (minus hair shirt) in the stunning Meon Valley surrounded by woodland and wildlife - a Sawday's Community Champion