Up the drive flanked by grazing horses, to a warm welcome from the housekeeper and a great fire in the hall. Perfect for family gatherings

Bustling Fowey harbour sweeps out below this Victorian townhouse. Walk to shops and restaurants, hike the coastal path, return to comfort

Come for big, peaceful bedrooms with views, delicious home cooked breakfasts and riverside strolls through ancient beech woodland

Be inspired by hilltop views, unwind in beamed rooms by huge fireplaces or scramble down to the beach for family adventures

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

Tea in the summerhouse, breakfast by the fire, fresh flowers all around this warm family home. Step out to historic Shrewsbury high street

Luxurious living combines with bleating sheep and bells from the church next door - 4 fabulous retreats on the Cotentin Peninsula

A renovated, comfy Victorian cottage behind a small village pub, a hub for the local community and with good food, ales and wine

Escape to this contemporary barn on a friendly farmstead with fern-fringed cliffs and walks galore on your door. Ask about ferry discounts

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

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

A pretty little cottage in a holiday hamlet surrounded by fields, just a stone's throw from the coast and Binic for happy escapes

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

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

Wide views over the trees to the glittering loch and the hills beyond will mesmerise; interiors are calm, uncluttered and generous

An upmarket, very comfortable old stone village house with tasty breakfasts and a sunny courtyard full of colourful flowers

A dear little gingerbread-style house in the prettiest part of the estate with your own pontoon and boat on the edge of a shimmering lake

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre