Two family and dog friendly retreats for lovers of the countryside, birdwatchers and those wishing to escape the crowds

Come to slow down and be well fed at this beautiful 14th-century manor with 60 acres of grounds and views across the Cotswolds

1800s coastal watchtower meets organic farm at a small hotel with a proud restaurateur and sea views from high mezzanine rooms

Two lovely cottages with a fresh, modern style, private terrace, tranquil communal gardens with an orchard and pool

Up a narrow lane this dreamy pub with rooms has views to the South Downs. Stay for supper, let the kids run free in the garden playground

Just below the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima, an agriturismo loved by sporty types and families, with wonderful food on site

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 truly authentic place to stay on a Sicilian working farm with roaming hens, wheat fields, wild flowers and a distant view of the sea

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

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away

Come for sea air, independent shops, great places to eat and this quirky cottage with plenty of room and a sunny walled garden

Comfortable apartment steeped in Breton history, in a beautifully renovated gabarier’s house overlooking the marine estuary

In a chocolate-box village just an hour on the train, and a short hop in a taxi, from London is this foodie inn with pretty bedrooms

A lovely modern Provençal house, light and welcoming, in a valley of vineyards and forest, tucked peacefully away from the coast

A gorgeous barn conversion in the heart of the High Weald with superb walking, only five miles from Tunbridge Wells

Lovers will be happy here in their own sweet space with a bird-filled garden. All you will hear is the river flowing gently past you

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