Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

Fresh sea air, drowsy afternoons and nights of warmth and company against the backdrop of the sea in this big old house on Lyme Bay

Four pretty apartments perfect for groups. A natural swimming pool, animals roaming and walking distance from a summer boat to the beaches!

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

Another bright, beamed and history-filled place to stay on the smart Upton Cressett estate with walks from the door and much comfort within

Climb the candle-lit marble staircase to dream between lavender-scented sheets in splendid rooms, some with balcony or terrace

Immersed in nature, high in the magnificent Cheviot Hills, this wooden-clad off-grid cottage has sleek, modern interiors and grand views

Lodge and gardens – superbly designed, immaculate, fresh, eco friendly – rest in unspoilt Picardy. Anglo-French hosts take turns to cook

A peaceful old ivy-clad mill with a beautiful terrace overlooking the water, sculpture-filled gardens, comfortable bedrooms and hearty food

A comfortable and light-filled converted stone barn in the pretty Vendée, a quiet and rural spot but just half a mile from town

A very special farmhouse in a peaceful valley for memorable get-togethers with friends or family, just 20 minutes from the Jurassic Coast

Bring the family for a traditional Tuscan apartment holiday with a restaurant and pool on site, all surrounded by rippling green countryside

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

Loved by estate-workers, visitors, well-heeled locals, and walkers, this spruced-up pub is a friendly launchpad for Chatsworth

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

Immersed in vines and valleys, a glorious Girondine villa in which to gather close to Saint-Émilion – come together, walk, read, reconnect

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool