Walk, ride, bike or canoe, climb a mountain, head for Hay, then return to a comfortable bar, warm bedrooms and delicious food

A solid 1704 farmhouse with a peaceful, welcoming feel on the edge of a small hamlet with two acres of gardens set in glorious countryside

It's steeped in history and a joy to visit. Explore the vast pistes of Les Portes du Soleil... return to log fires and house-party dinners

A romantic cottage for two in the Pentland Hills, with views for miles and your own private garden with a wood-fired hot tub

Breathe, relax in peaceful Provençal countryside: olives, lavender and budding fruit trees. Aix's lively markets are 10 minutes away

A fabulous country boozer, revamped in style with a buzzy atmosphere, great food and welcoming bedrooms - good walking countryside too

Play boules in the garden, swim in the natural pool and enjoy Monica’s wonderful cooking served with local wines at this village farmhouse

Come for the great outdoors and wrap-around views of Muncaster Fell and Scafell Pike from this warm, bright and spacious Passivhaus

A Victorian house on a 5000 acre estate, snazzily renovated and tucked down a track with a private lake, in the quieter part of Cumbria

For walkers and lovers of wildly beautiful coastal country: two cosy old cottages and a bright, modern renovation in a cluster with others

A beautifully converted dairy with a magical garden in a quiet village surrounded by lovely countryside

An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

This architect-designed passive style house sits just behind the sand dunes at Waxham beach, one of Norfolk’s most lovely beaches

Two duplex apartments filled with art and sculptures inside a beautiful 18th-century orangery, minutes from magnificent Versailles

Remote three-bedroom cottage in Northumberland National Park, with far-reaching views over hills and valleys and walks in all directions

A wall of glass frames the sea view - take drinks on the waterfront lawn in summer, or by the crackling fire in winter

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

Provençal charm floats through the ground floor of this 18th-century home in a vineyard near Lorgues. Walk, cycle, swim, enjoy the peace