A sprint from London: a Cotswolds pub modernised with sympathy and care. Happy staff, organic ales and food, gorgeous rooms

Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes

A romantic retreat with a pool in the heart of the wild and wonderful Lot valley - come for bracing hikes, river swims and stunning views

Glorious, thoughtful food, ales and wines using 'as much good stuff they can lay their hands on' at this restaurant with lovely rooms

Restored 18th-century farm building surrounded by countryside, with a good pub a short walk away and Lake Windermere a ten-minute drive

Get away from it all in 'old' France, where melons taste like melons & hikes start from the door. This rural bolthole is a serious treat

A bright and beautiful six-bedroom house with lovely mature gardens in the glorious Lake District: bring your entire tribe plus the dog

A stylish, cosy, stone-flagged cottage with vintage and modern furniture, wood-burners, patios and views - and three excellent pubs nearby

The views are sensational, the bedrooms full of charm and higgledy-piggledy beams. Sip Perigord Noir on the terrace and amble to the market

Go with the slow - homemade delights, no plastic anything, few mod cons - just relaxed humorous hosts and a beautiful place

Within the city walls and right next to the Minster, this super-smart hotel gives you gorgeous bedrooms and delicious food

A sustainably run 1902 farmhouse and a cottage in countryside close to a wonderfully wild stretch of the North Devon coast

Kids range free, adults recharge in these two gites on a 17th-century estate with sunny gardens and a pool. Hike, bike, swim, relax...

A joy for foodies, peace seekers and lovers of period architecture… note the Honduran mahogany banister with inlaid jet and pearl

A remote, rustic place for a digital detox - wildly romantic and perfect in summer with the doors open. Children can play in safety

A striking, newly thatched and revamped pub with spoiling bedrooms, an inviting bar and menus overseen by Raymond Blanc - you'll eat well

Three charming rustic lodges with private gardens and a laid-back vibe in a small rural hamlet surrounded by vines and truffle orchards