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?

Suspended in a sea of trees, this sleek, serene hideout is all about the forest, stars, stillness, and space - a Sawday's Community Champion

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

A sweet retreat for a nature-loving couple, with soul-searching views and the smell of the sea. Logs and Breton cider are on the house...

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

An enchanting escape immersed in nature yet only 40 minutes by train into the Eternal City for art and history-filled days

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool

Cosy bolthole for two in a tiny hamlet next to a river and pub; walk the hills or spend the day at the unspoiled coast

Live like a local. Art lovers, book lovers and walkers will be happy here above an art gallery in the centre of town

A recently renovated and very comfortable stand-alone limestone cottage with fabulous views on the edge of the Easton Walled Gardens

Gite retreats in château grounds - welcoming and wonderful for young families. Build castles in the sandpit, make friends around the pool

Two cottages for couples: one more traditional, the other fresh and modern, both comfortable and romantic and there's a good pub next door

A blissfully quiet and welcoming New Cross home. English and oriental blend - including breakfast! Rooms are airy, richly decorated and fun

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

A treat to stay in one half of this unique Grade I listed arch sitting at the estate entrance, just a short walk from the Beckford Arms

A spoiling hotel for a properly grown up escape on the Chatsworth Estate. Bring your loved one and do as much or as little as you fancy

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

Two cottages which can be taken together, in wing of a warm yellow 1927 house. Charming owners, beautiful grounds and breathtaking views