Peaceful converted barn on a remote working farm – pet the donkeys, wild swim and row on the lake, warm up around the wood-burner

Take your time here. Lucy will take you round her wonderful garden, introduce you to her donkeys, and share her laid-back approach

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

Gorgeously restored villas with breathtaking views. Chill out on the terrace, sample the owner’s homemade wine, and the wood-fired pizza!

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

Come to this delightful house, a marriage of old stones and modern furniture, for pure remote air, great outdoor sports and fine dining

Woodland retreat above Loch Tummel. Silence, sunsets and star-filled skies in a 70s bungalow that blends retro charm with modern comfort

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

Come for strawberries in summer, walnuts in winter, and a wonderful welcome all year round. Thierry and Charlotte are living their dream

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Wonderful hosts at this traditional, upbeat B&B, where imaginative breakfasts set you up for glorious hikes in Eyri (Snowdonia)

A historic Cornish farmhouse, sitting pretty in its own land at the side of a valley, with comfortable bedrooms and an independent feel

Friendly inn in the middle of Sedbergh. Lots of bedrooms to choose from, suntrap picnic area, walks in the Yorkshire Dales on the doorstep

A lovely little bolthole for two on a gorgeous estate with restaurant, deli and superb gardens, sculpture walk and wildflower meadows

Gorgeously rural pub with rooms nestled in a leafy Somerset valley: sweet bedrooms, fantastic menus, and charming owners. Dog friendly, too

A lovely farmhouse in Lot with acres of garden and a summer kitchen. Come ‘en famille’ for food, wine and lazy days by the pool.

Near the sandy beaches of the Cabo de Gata, close to the village of Níjar, is a much-loved family estate with eco pool and exotic gardens