Remote barn in the middle of Northumberland National Park with views for miles, wonderful walking trails and clear starry skies

A smartly refurbished 500-year-old coaching inn with very comfortable bedrooms, good food and the Peak District at your feet

A light, spacious villa in the colonial style designed for easy indoor/outdoor living, with garden, pool and the beach just a short stroll

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

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

An incredible living museum, dedicated to the history of Sicily and the arts. Stay in the main house or in a cottage in the fecund garden

You’ll find Norfolk ales, French wines and a hint of eccentricity at this old-school inn, where local food and comfy beds keep you smiling

Up in the Cévennes, this big, beautiful family house has superb views, a fine kitchen, lots of space and masses to do and see

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Award-winning Aga-cooked breakfasts, scented candles, gorgeous beds... Come for a break from clock-watching and a spot of Shropshire air

An elegant hotel with wellness area, gym, gourmet restaurant, bar, bistro and 15 contemporary bedrooms decorated with Sicilian flair

Manor house in the grounds of a quintessential 18th-century French château with pretty gardens and lots of space just 3kms from Bayeux

Two duplex apartments filled with art and sculptures inside a beautiful 18th-century orangery, minutes from magnificent Versailles

In a small town in Salento is a cool southern house of elegant simplicity, ideal for a large family, near to beaches & 45 minutes from Lecce

Atmospheric manor with heaps of history, sumptuous bedrooms, a cornucopia of quirky finds, an open-hearted host – it’s a treat to stay here

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

Gem-like in a deep park among meadows, a family-friendly château with 2 stylish cottages. Join the lovely owners for dinner, dip in the pool

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