Luxurious living combines with bleating sheep and bells from the church next door - 4 fabulous retreats on the Cotentin Peninsula

A super old place for those who love history and Thomas Hardy. Come for enjoyable gastropub food and comfortable, traditional bedrooms

A sweet bolthole around a courtyard on a smallholding, extremely comfortable, bright and spacious inside and with a communal garden

Delightful hamlet of beautifully restored cottages with a pool, surrounded by fields, forest and deer. The perfect spot for a digital detox

In a profoundly peaceful spot between arty St Ives and stunning Marazion, a hideaway for two surrounded by gardens and parkland

An airy, well-designed hideaway for two in an ancient barn on a quiet farm. This is prime walking country with Hadrian’s Wall nearby.

An eco renovation of an 1800s gamekeepers cottage, now a charming place for couples or families to immerse themselves in nature

Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy

Rustic charm meets modern comfort in peaceful Devon hideaway set in acres of wild meadows and ancient orchards, with glorious swimming pool

An elegant hotel that feels like a well-kept secret, with charming staff, understated rooms and great restaurants a short walk away

A stone built 18th-century tower in a pretty valley dotted with fruit trees for quiet and relaxed days recuperating from life in the city

A celebration of all things Somerset in a thatched village opposite the church and close to National Trust Barrington Court and Gardens

Comfortable, understated, spotless and authentic – a modest family hideaway on Brittany’s stunning Crozon Peninsula (think Land’s End...)

Heart-soaring Pyrenean views, animals roaming, natural materials in simple rural rooms, organic food: it’s a superbly welcoming eco-lodge

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

The North York Moors National Park is on the doorstep of this friendly B&B with glorious views, generous breakfasts and kind hosts

A handsome Grade II listed pub with rooms in the heart of one of England's best foodie towns