Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

Simple country cottage living on a working organic farm. Bring your hiking boots or bikes, stride out from the door

Secluded place with home-grown food, much peace and walks by the river for a couple (or small family). Courses and solo retreats too

A small hotel with gorgeous interiors, friendly staff, spacious rooms, a proper library, pretty garden and a relaxed, homely feel

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

In a leafy, peaceful part of Frome - a very civilised bolthole for two. A big garden is yours to share, friendly owners live next door

A beautifully converted dairy with a magical garden in a quiet village surrounded by lovely countryside

Light-and-colour filled cottage with gardens and sea views on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, a short stroll from Chesil Beach

A large, light-filled house sitting very much on its own in the middle of the peaceful Eden Valley with masses of space inside and out

A romantic and very comfortable retreat in a smartly converted dairy with a pretty garden, close to the South Downs

Come for fine food and drink, sumptuous bedrooms and a relaxed, informal atmosphere at this gorgeous Cotswold manor house with ancient roots

A 17th-century Westmorland barn, fully renovated with a roomy living space and west-facing garden with views of High Street and Blencathra

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

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

Gracious Florentine hospitality, elegance and comfort, gazebo breakfasts, a flower-filled garden with pool and views of olive groves

A heavenly inn on Fife’s south coast – the terrace overlooks the beach, lovely food waits within, chic rooms are a steal