A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

The sort of inn we all love – open fires, original beams, ancient flags, tasty food, with lovely bedrooms thrown in for good measure

Light-filled house full of modern art and antique finds with stunning gardens and a pool. The best of Provence is on your doorstep

You are treated like nobility in this gorgeous Manoir, enveloped by the towering cliffs and Aurélia and Julien's generous hospitality

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

One of the loveliest houses in a very lovely village. Pretty rooms have parquet floors and white walls, the food is a delight

Tucked at the bottom of a long track and surrounded by a gorgeous natural landscape, is this generous end-slice of a 17th-century stone farm

Two comfortably converted farm buildings, with a shared pool on a gentle south-east sloping vineyard with wonderful views

A comfortable and light-filled converted stone barn in the pretty Vendée, a quiet and rural spot but just half a mile from town

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

Two lovely cottages, packed with atmosphere, character and comfort in a magical timeless valley surrounded by nature

A foodie and friendly reinvigorated old pub, with floor to ceiling estuary views. Bring the dog and hit the coastal path

Perched on a hilltop in a nature reserve, two lovely places to stay. Hike and beach-hop all day before relaxing in the pool

For walkers and lovers of wildly beautiful coastal country: two cosy old cottages and a bright, modern renovation in a cluster with others

A warm retreat in a charming Sussex backwater, with a changing menu of fabulous food, and well-furbished bedrooms upstairs

A grand-looking stone building with fabulous views across the Derwent Valley from the terrace and garden – find quirky rooms and great food

A very pretty old coach house in a south London garden – perfect for a couple or a family. Friendly owners live across the courtyard