Come with friends for a cookery course, or with the kids, and enjoy the creative feel of the place - and the food! Venice 40 mins by train

Another humdinger of a hotel from a very talented team. Hand-picked art, effortlessly cool rooms, tasty local food, a sun terrace and events

A super old place for those who love history and Thomas Hardy. Come for enjoyable gastropub food and comfortable, traditional bedrooms

Fresh sea air, drowsy afternoons and nights of warmth and company against the backdrop of the sea in this big old house on Lyme Bay

An immaculately restored cottage with a blissful sun room, private terrace, gardens, pool and orchard for a warm and peaceful hideaway

A roomy, open-plan space for romantics, with complete privacy but with pub, bakery and views of the market garden from your own terrace

A stroll from the village, this comfy house in its terraced garden comes with a keen-cook's kitchen, a generous terrace and pool

Swing off the main road through the village, up into the hills along a narrow track and through a gate, observed by curious sheep

Warm interiors, pretty bedrooms and excellent breakfasts – good value in a very handy central spot

An 18th-century listed cottage in a pretty terrace with a private courtyard garden and pond, just a short walk from the high street

Come to restore your soul, be immersed in nature, wander paths in the lovely grounds and make memories with family or friends

A rustic-chic bolthole with bird's eye views to gaze at from your bedroom and the beautiful garden, tucked in a quaint hamlet in Maremma

Up in the hills, with Hay Bluff towering beside, this old stone house is sheltered in the valley with the brook rushing past to a waterfall

Come for big skies, loch views, much wildlife, acres of forest and a charming wood-clad cottage from which to explore such a remote spot

Come to the wild Cévennes to hike, ride, kayak down the Hérault river – or just revel in your pretty, generous house, pool and garden space

Get the full-English bucolic countryside experience at this boutique inn right in the heart of a quintessentially pretty Cotswold village

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable