Go with the slow - homemade delights, no plastic anything, few mod cons - just relaxed humorous hosts and a beautiful place

An ancient trullo saraceno, carefully restored and sitting in a huge swathe of nature, with a serene pool, gnarly olives and wide skies

Deep luxury, superb service and a wealth of delightful things to admire at this small hotel on a very quiet street in the heart of the city

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

Steps from the sea in get-away-from-it-all scenery – half an hour’s walk from St Ives’ arty heart. Sleeps 4 with pull-out beds for 2 more

Beautifully restored medieval hall house – perfect for big family gatherings, with separate cottage, replica steam train and secluded garden

Charming, laid-back B&B in the foothills of the Algarve. All you hear are the birds, yet the beaches are a ten-minute drive

A working farm with well renovated ancient buildings among 200 acres of pastures and forest. It's quiet here in the glorious Périgord

A relaxed old countryside manor house with a huge garden to roam. It’s 2km to sandy beaches and Judith is close by if you need anything

Close to the honeypots of Domme and Sarlat, a hideaway for 2 in an ancient French hamlet. The apartment is serene, the views are glorious

Off-the-beaten track cottage promises peace and quiet, wild swimming and hikes in the hills. A world away from the urban jungle

Lovely views over the river Anglin from the large windows of this old industrial-like building, once used for honey production on the estate

An 1800s former watermill, now elegantly converted to give B&B rooms plus a self-catering cottage in the Côte d'Opale, superb for walking

This Fire Restaurant and Rooms sits majestically on the shores of the loch in three acres of grounds, with tranquil bedrooms

Luxuriate in style at this central Lecce palazzo with gorgeous rooms, delicious breakfasts (lunch & dinner by arrangement). Walk everywhere

An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

A bright and spacious cottage set against a backdrop of woodland for days spent happily reading by the wood-burner or lunch on the sun deck