Heaps to do on-site: organic farm shop & café, cookery & cheese-making courses, farm tours. A brilliant base for exploring the Cotswolds too

Popular with families, this Glen of Rannoch mountain-view cottage with a homely atmosphere is a cheerful place to stay year-round

A stylish retreat in the heart of St Ives offering a glimpse of the sea – with an extra double sofabed room for friends or children

A thatched farmhouse only just over the channel near Rouen that’s well hidden in lush gardens, but worth finding for the gourmet food alone

Come for super ridgeway walks and explore charming towns and villages from this pretty 18th-century cottage in the Chalke Valley

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

A heated pool, charming B&B rooms and acres of beautiful grounds beside the Adour River - Bayonne and Biarritz are close

Deep in the Lake District, a well-loved family home with open fires and heavenly views, a private woodland and a short walk to a good pub

A neatly-converted old farmhouse on a quiet country lane with bright living spaces, heated pool, garden and hot tub just minutes from sandy beaches

A lucky break to stay here: part of a 1669 grade-II* listed Almshouse with modern interiors; leafy and quiet yet a short hop from the town

A serene retreat basking above the Algarve with sea views from the garden and pool, and charming Moorish details

Spacious farmhouse with annexe, great for gatherings with family and friends. Fabulous walks and endless views over the Eglwysbach valley

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

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Perched in gorgeous gardens and with stunning views, this 18th-century presbytery has lovely rooms and an excellent gourmet restaurant

A pretty upside-down cottage, formerly a dovecote, lovingly restored with sustainability the focus

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area