Family-friendly lakes retreat steeped in local history. Acres of wild country to get lost in and a splendid bar to help find yourself again

Designed with style and comfort, peaceful, sophisticated and serene with countryside views. And you have your own lovely pool

Four bright and warm cottages with gardens, for families and friends, plus activities for children and endless walks for you and your dog

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

A very tranquil spot with views of rolling countryside, the East Mendip Way on the doorstep and good pubs within walking distance

Mesmerising sea views from this big comfortable hillside house near Deià with a big pool, verdant gardens and sun-trapping terraces

A trulli hamlet immersed in nature, on the wilder side of Puglia with visits to white-washed hilltop towns and cooking with Nonna Maria

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

At the foot of the Cambrian Mountains, an ancient whitewashed cottage with cosy, light-flooded interiors – a perfect rural bolthole for two

An 1880 farm cottage with a modern rear extension in a rural setting with outdoor space – gardens, grounds, firepit, playground

Cuisine reigns supreme at this historic B&B. Play world-class golf, trek the Giant’s Causeway, plunder National Trust treasures

Comfortable home with wood fires, gracious bedrooms and convivial living rooms. The drive is full of blossom and daffodils in spring

A wonderful green getaway with wrap-around views of Norfolk nature; walk Weavers’ Way, birdwatch at Blakeney, enjoy the coast at Cromer

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

Come for the space and silence, the birds and the beach; soak up the wild vistas, warm yourself by the fire pit under star-filled skies

A charming transformation of a once boarded-up pub in a pretty village setting, beside the river Wye in the heart of the Peak District