A traditional country house experience with plenty of space for big family get-togethers, on a very old estate with fascinating gardens

Wide views over the trees to the glittering loch and the hills beyond will mesmerise; interiors are calm, uncluttered and generous

A serene atmosphere prevails in this old Yorkshire stone inn, carefully curated to induce a zen-like calm. You're fed very well too

A great little place, hugely popular, with stylish bedrooms, lovely food, happy staff and a winning position on the river Wyre

An old chapel, smartly and sustainably converted, with a hot tub to soothe tired limbs after country walks through fells and dales

A swish and very generous eco barn with a wood-fired hot tub and a view-filled deck close to fabulous walking in the Dales or the Lakes

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

Bright, cosy cottage off the beaten track between the South Hams and Dartmoor, with good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom

Brilliant birdwatching, heavenly countryside, a generous welcome and lovely furnishings... A place to linger as long as you can

Philippe and Stéphanie give you delicious food and comfortable, colourful bedrooms in their ancient château with gardens and pool

Perthshire country house with contemporary touches. Deer, red squirrels, tawny owls... and the river Tay glints way below through the trees

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

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

Retreat to this sweet, peaceful cottage with suntrap courtyard garden enveloped in rolling hills just a short hop from the Jurassic Coast

Shady spots in the garden, a pool overlooked by tall palms, a bar nook stocked with drinks and a new spa in the Serra do Açor

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Immaculate apartments with private patios and well-equipped kitchens share oleander-bright gardens and a chlorine-free pool