In a chocolate-box village just an hour on the train, and a short hop in a taxi, from London is this foodie inn with pretty bedrooms

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

Award-winning Aga-cooked breakfasts, scented candles, gorgeous beds... Come for a break from clock-watching and a spot of Shropshire air

Magnificent views unfold over the glittering sea towards the Cap d'Antibes from this elegant 1750 manor filled with much art and history

An ancient farmstead in the Lombard style with up-to-date B&B rooms plus a garden, lake and museum all surrounded by quiet countryside

An elegant hotel with wellness area, gym, gourmet restaurant, bar, bistro and 15 contemporary bedrooms decorated with Sicilian flair

Once a lofty edifice for music recitals, now an original place to stay - with stained-glass windows, a bed on a stage and wild gardens

Take your pick from guided horse-trekking to grand banqueting at this traditional château; drive to explore WWI history and the lovely coast

Spoiling bedrooms, fabulous food and a lovely position lost in the hills make this Lakeland inn hard to resist - bring your walking boots

A beautiful villa with a medieval tower surrounded by formal gardens, gentle slopes of perfectly maintained vineyards and wooded hilltops

Thatched cottage perfect for families; surfing at Croyde, walks on Exmoor, sunny barbecues in the garden and cosying up by the wood-burner

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?

A cosy, beautifully refurbished flat in a Georgian house bang in the middle of the unspoilt town with its pretty streets and houses

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

A quirky hotel with enthusiastic owners in an authentic Andalucian town, just ten minutes up winding roads from Marbella

An elegant palazzo with three swish apartments in the heart of Baroque Salento with a glorious roof terrace, just steps from Piazza Salandra

Gather family or friends and fall in love with this gorgeous house, beautiful garden, glimmering Ullswater and stunning countryside

Wow. The sort of place you long for on dreary days - inspired architecture, heavenly views, delicious home-cooked food, a lake for swimming