Fall asleep to the sound of the sea in your dreamy thatched cottage, one of 6, right on the beach for those head-clearing walks...

Wisteria, clematis and roses clamber up this pretty stone barn conversion with its own big garden surrounded by mature trees and many birds

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

The village is tiny, the bar is lively, the food is delicious. The Cotswolds are at your feet and you’re encouraged not to lift a finger

An 18th-century listed cottage in a pretty terrace with a private courtyard garden and pond, just a short walk from the high street

An ancient manor from the middle ages, built against a stone cliff with extensive terraced grounds, pool and parkland filled with wildlife

Come for plenty of space and wonderful views to the Pyrenees on clear days from this converted outbuilding in the grounds of a château

This fine old Dordogne house is run by well-travelled owners, has superb views and is a luscious mix of old charm and contemporary design

This famous old country house might not come cheap, but where else can you splash out in such decadent style for life’s big celebrations?

Welcoming and friendly place in a non-touristy area of the city within walking distance of the centre and with a fabulous roof terrace

Designed with style and comfort, peaceful, sophisticated and serene with countryside views. And you have your own lovely pool

Bedrooms with terraces and views over St Michael’s Mount Bay. Explore the gardens; walk from the door to glorious beaches

One of five family farm cottages on the Wern Estate, serene and stylish with wood-burning stove, beautiful colours and distant sea views

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

Irresistible for art, design and heritage-lovers, bird-watchers and those who love to explore Norfolk's wide open spaces

A sculptor's studio, flooded with light, converted into a restful holiday home with wellbeing treatments surrounded by glorious countryside, near Totnes

Old beams and rich history: a dramatic setting for fireside chats, superb breakfasts (home-reared, baked, grown) - and Midsomer Murders

A quintessential Grade II listed thatched cottage with glorious gardens near a 13th-century church and surrounded by rolling hills