Coffee served in silver cups & cakes are homemade in this duke’s palace, a throwback to the Moorish kingdom - a Sawday's Community Champion

A very peaceful, family-run hotel on the shores of Lake Garda with rose and jasmine-scented gardens for summer dinners by candlelight

Immerse yourselves in the heather-clad peaks, moorland, glens and diverse wildlife of the magnificent Pentland Hills Regional Park

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

Charming cottage in the Peak District National Park for hill walking, cycling and bird watching, or simply unwinding amid much beauty

Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable

A welcoming, warming inn for locals and visitors alike with a blazing log fire, excellent local and seasonal food and proper Devon ales

A lovely gîte with cool lines and its own shady terrace plus pool, gardens, fountain and a relaxed family-friendly feel

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

Tranquil stone house with a rustic feel, a large garden with a swimming pool and views of the French Riviera and out to sea

Unspoilt Coverack has all you need for a fun beach holiday and this terraced fisherman's cottage on the coast path is cosy all year round

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

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

Sweet Grade II listed fisherman's terrace cottage for 4 (+ 1) close to the centre of bustling St Ives; a place to escape to year-round

A relaxed and stylish hotel on the Norfolk coast with an impressive restaurant, sumptuous bedrooms and super staff

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

Stylish B&B rooms in a peaceful little château, amongst rolling hills, woods and farmland - bikes and boules to borrow, lovely pool to share