Very private and comfortable rooms with their own entrances at this generous B&B with glorious gardens and views to the Black Mountains

Lovely big room in its own wing of a Victorian farmhouse. A peaceful spot with views across fields and an elegant drawing room

Five tranquil apartments surrounded by Tuscan countryside just over half an hour's drive from Siena - hire them all for a group holiday

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

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace

Find beauty and tranquillity on this historic Dordogne estate for up to fourteen - plus a feast of designer colour and a fine pool to share

A lovely old stone cottage in a group round a pretty courtyard, with your own private patio and seating area, on the Pink Granite Coast

A grand old chartreuse, dating from 1649, with terrace, garden and pool surrounded by tranquil countryside and near a pretty village

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

Part of the original Wensleydale creamery overlooking the river, with bustling Hawes and great walking country right on your doorstep

Independent B&B in an ancient hamlet with modern interiors, immaculate bedrooms and a pleasant wooden terrace for sunny days

Pluck grapes, splash in the child-shallow pool and explore the ‘Yorkshire of Italy’ with rolling green hills and conical trulli

A small top terrace can be booked for romantic evenings and you can lunch or dinner at the delightful floating restaurant

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

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

A fine old stone mill, the river rushing by, kingfishers, kayaking, swimming: it’s a dream place with Provence and the Cévennes at the door

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away