A wonderfully simple and modern studio with stunning sea views in an almost Jurassic landscape, dotted with the owner's sculptures

In a quiet, ancient country town – outdoor breakfasts and indoor style: trompe l’oeil decorations, frescoes, vaulted panelled ceilings

Families and walkers will be happy at this unfussy seaside retreat with beaches down the road and coastal paths right by your door

A serene retreat, deep in forested hills with lovely gardens, the river rushing through and a very comfortable, calming and spacious house

Ensconce yourselves in the Black Périgord and stay in the East Wing of a 16th-century castle with private garden and surrounding parkland

A stunning veranda wraps itself around the house: doze off in a wicker armchair or sip a drink at dusk as the sun melts into the valley

Built in the 1800s, a charming stone house on the Penicuik Estate with views over woodland and hills and calming, beautiful interiors

Spoiling bedrooms, fabulous food and a lovely position lost in the hills make this Lakeland inn hard to resist - bring your walking boots

A beautifully restored listed barn of Westmorland stone sitting in a conservation area village in spectacular walking country, near Appleby

You'll feel relaxed in this big light-filled house with plunge pool and outdoor cinema; walk along the river with Portugal on the other side

Comfortable apartment steeped in Breton history, in a beautifully renovated gabarier’s house overlooking the marine estuary

Magnificent views unfold over the glittering sea towards the Cap d'Antibes from this elegant 1750 manor filled with much art and history

An elegant medieval manor in the Loire with spiral stone staircases, mullioned windows, jaunty turrets and a fairytale suite just for you

Big house in peaceful lush oasis among the bananas, vines and aloe vera, a 20-minute walk down into Funchal

Wild and peaceful small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama. Listen to birdsong, hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

A light, bright Georgian townhouse in a residential street directly opposite the lovely Lido and restaurant, near Clifton Village

A light larch-clad space for lovers, or a retreat for walkers and writers in pretty Orford, once a medieval sea port but now on the river