A welcoming retreat with lofty rooms, a sunny garden and the perfect plunge pool. Come for slow days and wine country adventures

A beautifully-restored old cow shed, light and airy, floating over a wildflower meadow in spring and summer. 20 mins from the Jurassic Coast

Charming cottage in a vast garden with a swimming pool and boule; walk to the nearest village, drive to Côte d'Azur in less than an hour

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

A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

A friendly family-run inn, ideal for foodies and dog-walkers who love their comforts. Peaceful, remote, but with Sherborne a short drive

A gentle, calm, immaculate place for an all-season family stay, near wine tastings, castles, caves and canoeing. Everyone loves the Dordogne

Another bright, beamed and history-filled place to stay on the smart Upton Cressett estate with walks from the door and much comfort within

Welcome to a cosy, country-rustic bolthole for four, in a friendly, community village inn, with some of the best food in Shropshire

Friendly host, Georgian elegance, welcoming sitting room and bedrooms, tasty breakfasts: the perfect city break in Scotland’s capital

Luxurious living combines with bleating sheep and bells from the church next door - 4 fabulous retreats on the Cotentin Peninsula

A Victorian farm steading cleverly repurposed as an open-plan holiday home with bright, colourful interiors, deep in the Perthshire hills

Unadulterated elegance awaits at this gorgeous, ancient Tuscan house with large marble swimming pool, stunning gardens and dreamy views

Come to be thoroughly cosseted and nurtured in this ancient Presbytery surrounded by rolling countryside with views of the Dordogne river

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

Restored stone barn on a farm in the Lake District National Park, with views of fields and woods and an excellent pub nearby

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