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

On a quiet road leading to the sea, this sleepy village pub has been sensitively restored. Enjoy good food, sleep in comfy bedrooms

A delightful eyrie surrounded by water, forest, wildflowers in spring and summer, views to distant islands - just a short stroll to Ullapool

Artistic souls will like it here, and those who enjoy shared meals & getting to know other people in dramatic countryside; Arezzo is 40 km

A pleasing (not very little) place to stay in the heart of a wood within the unspoilt countryside of the South Downs National Park

In the gardens of a laid-back country house, a barn with books, games, faded rugs and a grand piano – a treat for convivial families

An exquisite, serene B&B with sweeping views, tucked between hills, vineyards and meadows and the ancient remains of a Benedictine abbey

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

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

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

A Cotswolds hideaway in a cottage on a farm, with space to roam for children, and glorious valley views

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

A bright and spacious cottage set against a backdrop of woodland for days spent happily reading by the wood-burner or lunch on the sun deck

A hammock by the pool, dinner under the stars, Andalucian nature (wild boar, birds, olives) all around. Chatty English hosts charm all

An elegant townhouse made up of two apartments on a lively piazza a short stroll from the sea. Live like a local in pretty Monopoli

Superb, all-organic agriturismo built of straw bales and offering wonderful home-grown natural food, a delightful family, great walking