From the delicious scented garden with its limestone pool to the cool rooms with perfect linen, this is a place for a special occasion

Historic and impeccably presented apartment in charming Stockbridge, a stroll from shops, restaurants and Botanic Gardens

A hop from the Côte d'Azur is this elegant home: bring friends, explore the garden, curl up on the sofa, dip in the heated pool

Tucked away privately in part of a spectacular listed manor house, this apartment has wonderful views across to Hartland and the sea

Grade II-listed country hotel with lovely gardens and an excellent restaurant, a short walk from Ambleside and the top of Lake Windermere

Dating back to 1892 and once the home of the town's mayor, this fine house sits in the centre of a pretty Andalusian town with much to offer

Stay in a lovely 18th-century townhouse in one of the prettiest villages on the Loire surrounded by unspoilt countryside

An impressive manor house set in gentle rolling countryside ten miles from Oxford with a delightful garden, warm hosts and organic breakfast

Come down to the Meon Valley and be (very gently) nudged towards a better way of living - a Sawday's Community Champion

Adorable cottage with a Highland lodge feel – walk straight into the hills, swim in the Spey, relax in the whisky room and sitooterie

Modest and authentic, a top-floor apartment in an eco-friendly Provençal farmhouse, with dogs and hens. River swims are a stroll away...

Premier cru vineyards at the door, an original wine cellar for tastings, and a heated pool with vineyard views

Dominating the village is this historic hotel... all frescoes, chandeliers, splendour at every turn. And a handsome pool, too

Like something out of a fairytale, two conical-roofed trulli, an annexe and an outdoor pool for a family holiday in the Apulian countryside

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

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A large, light-filled house sitting very much on its own in the middle of the peaceful Eden Valley with masses of space inside and out

The Dordogne flows through the gastronomic heart of France, where stunning villages cling to rock faces and historic riches are in store