A nature-filled estate for smart lodge holidays in rural peace with woods and coast to explore, onsite activities and yummy homemade meals

Dinner fresh from the garden with your creative hosts is an absolute delight. Roam unspoilt countryside, visit châteaux and vineyards galore

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

1820s cottage with long views, a lovely garden and generous extras. Alnwick is close and miles of white sandy beaches with dunes

Wow. The sort of place you long for on dreary days - inspired architecture, heavenly views, delicious home-cooked food, a lake for swimming

White-painted beams, wonky white walls and your own parking spot fairly nearby. You're near the harbour and subtropical gardens

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

Old meets new seamlessly here: ancient stone, lofty beams, good comfort, wood-burner, Jacuzzi/spa and space to relax in the designer garden

You have complete independence in your own wing beside the owner's house, with much space, a sparkling pool and balconies with views

Cross an ancient stone bridge to a 1790s estate cottage, completely on its own down a little-used green lane and with the river rushing by

Expect magical views from this peaceful, eco-friendly barn in a mid-Wales valley - wonderful escape for two, or come with a group of friends

Come for a big gathering of friends or family and take the whole house plus an extra cottage in the pretty gardens – swim in the pool, relax

In the middle of the National Park and surrounded by the Coquet Hills, come for dark skies, fabulous walking and a very comfortable cottage

Medieval manor house and busy farm. A welcoming atmosphere, big bedrooms, breakfast in the baronial great hall by the cosy log fire

Small country hotel in a riverside setting near Giverny, with a superb restaurant and a charming village a few minutes’ walk away

A babbling brook, the sound of birdsong and centuries of history steeped into the walls of this medieval barn, plus a heated indoor pool

Welcome to an immaculate house on the Isle of Skye. Relax in the sauna, relish the hamper, linger over the barbecue with a fabulous view