Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

A pleasing (not very little) place to stay in the heart of a wood within the unspoilt countryside of the South Downs National Park

You’ve got history on your doorstep in this beautiful and serene B&B, with charming gardens and a real sense of style in every room

Ski in winter, walk and cycle in summer - return to unbeatable hospitality, warm, large and comfortable bedrooms with views, robust food

Lovely views over the river Anglin from the large windows of this old industrial-like building, once used for honey production on the estate

Glorious Elizabethan manor house lovingly furnished with exceptional art and antiques by its welcoming owners

Three simple, traditional apartments in an ancient convent building with a beautiful botanical garden in the heart of the historic centre

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest

An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Cosy Lakeland stone barn in acres of peaceful countryside for walkers, wildlife lovers and those wishing for a retreat

A scrupulously renovated dog-friendly gate lodge with garden and outdoor dining area, a five-minute drive from Mount Congreve Gardens

Come for a spot of indulgence, with seriously good food and wine, oodles to do in the courtyard, great bedrooms and a cool spa for a splurge

Step into the valley region from this beautifully restored 17th-century house surrounded by saltwater and freshwater canals and lakes

A luxurious springboard for the wineries, villages and treasures of south Tuscany in the magical Orcia valley - if you can bear to leave it!