Dreamy, languid beauty at this spacious, airy, arty house with garden and pool in typical Pugliese countryside

A roomy, stylish barn conversion in Devon's rolling hills with wonderful walks from the door and panoramic views of the Exe valley

Come to recharge in the lovely Loire valley at this fine château surrounded by mature gardens and green countryside

Adorable cottage with a Highland lodge feel – walk straight into the hills, swim in the Spey, relax in the whisky room and sitooterie

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

Deep in Burgundy's wine country, an elegant maison de maître sits in acres of gloriously private parkland

A Victorian house on a 5000 acre estate, snazzily renovated and tucked down a track with a private lake, in the quieter part of Cumbria

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Treat yourselves to a stay on one of the oldest wine estates in Provence and a family house from the 1740s, complete with antiques

A converted barn for two, serenely comfortable and effortlessly stylish, near to North Devon's beaches and the wild beauty of Exmoor

A perfectly renovated farmhouse in the grounds of a delightful château deep in the Normandy countryside, with a lovely walled garden

Charming 4-star gîte in an 11th-century castle in the foothills of the Pyrénées. Spectacular views, leafy terrace and wild swimming nearby

An impressive manor house set in gentle rolling countryside ten miles from Oxford with a delightful garden, warm hosts and organic breakfast

Château apartments with a heated pool, parkland and a menagerie - Gold Beach and the British Normandy Memorial are on the doorstep

In the National Park with all its glories (Ashbourne for antiques, Chatsworth for history, Bakewell for its market), a sweet village cottage

This gloriously off-grid stone farmhouse surrounded by untamed nature will suit those who revel in taking life at a more measured pace

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

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