Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

Step into a place full of life, colour, texture and clever design surrounded by beautiful gardens and lakes

Classic coaching inn in a bustling village offers restful rooms, real ales and the Cotswolds on your doorstep

A charming base in historic Beaulieu - expect delicious food, traditional country-house interiors, and walks that start from the front door

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves

A charming transformation of a once boarded-up pub in a pretty village setting, beside the river Wye in the heart of the Peak District

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

Refined palazzo with a rooftop terrace near the historic centre of Ostuni. The Valle d’Itria region and the coast is on your doorstep

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

Rooms in an old palazzo in the historic centre of town, with a swimming pool, restaurant and café, and lovely beaches a short drive away

This hidden valley is the dreamiest part of South Devon. Catch the ferry across the Dart; gaze on the hills; snuggle up by the wood-burner

A handsome old country manor house in the heart of the Loire castles surrounded by parkland, forests, lakes, small hamlets, vineyards and châteaux

Three family friendly cottages on this gorgeous eco farm with private gardens and organised outdoor activities if you like joining in

Where else is breakfast served by candlelight in winter? Friendly staff, lovely bedrooms, off-street parking and Arthur’s Seat all wait

Character and quirk in old and new design and furnishing – private terraces, a shared pool, great walking, cycling and wine-tasting

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

Historic buildings by a turreted manor house, beautifully renovated to welcome large parties with grounds to roam and dreamy river views