An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

Magnificent views unfold over the glittering sea towards the Cap d'Antibes from this elegant 1750 manor filled with much art and history

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

One of England's oldest coaching inns, full of history and wonky floors, on a Surrey market town's high street

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

Stay a while... lulled by lapping sea and fragrant hanging gardens - cool, light, balconied, classic, intimate, unpretentious

A large, attractive 18th-century house with sweeping lawns, outdoor seating areas and two free-standing baths by an ivy-clad wall

Unwind in elegant interiors and set out on long walks in beautiful countryside; Chichester and Winchester are near

Elegant 19th-century château deep in the Dordogne forest promises seclusion, serenity and an unhurried, sun-soaked escape.

Five beautiful suites in the south wing of this fairy tale castle, filled with architectural features, family history and much grandeur

Bedrooms with terraces and views over St Michael’s Mount Bay. Explore the gardens; walk from the door to glorious beaches

A perfectly romantic and gorgeously restored bothy in a garden on a hillside by the sea, with grand views over the mountains of Skye

Popular with families, this Glen of Rannoch mountain-view cottage with a homely atmosphere is a cheerful place to stay year-round

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

A hammock by the pool, dinner under the stars, Andalucian nature (wild boar, birds, olives) all around. Chatty English hosts charm all

An open-plan kitchen, sunny terrace and fruitful gardens shine at this private hillside villa. From here, it's easy to ski, swim or sunbathe