Light-filled house full of modern art and antique finds with stunning gardens and a pool. The best of Provence is on your doorstep

Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

Gaze out to the shimmering bay from your bird and nature-filled retreat in the tree-studded mountains near Alcúdia

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

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

Come for the glorious Northumbrian countryside and a neat-as-a-pin cottage with much comfort and a private garden near to the coast

Spread out in much style with friends or family in a beautifully renovated Victorian farmhouse at the foot of the Howgill fells

Green and serene, a striking array of eco cottages on a family farm where style and comfort reign, close to the coast but far from the crowd

Gorgeously rural pub with rooms nestled in a leafy Somerset valley: sweet bedrooms, fantastic menus, and charming owners. Dog friendly, too

Spacious bedrooms, friendly hosts and a classic English country house in a peaceful hamlet with walks from the doorstep

Two charming cottages a stroll from the Coast Path, surf school, shop, pub and restaurant. Take both cottages for a big family get-together

An immaculate stable retreat surrounded by gardens near Canterbury. Two couples could spend an idyllic week here, or a family of 5

A sustainably-designed small, family-run eco hotel within a nature park by the sea in stunning Basque country. Great food too

A babbling brook, the sound of birdsong and centuries of history steeped into the walls of this medieval barn, plus a heated indoor pool

A large cottage by the walled garden on a peaceful estate with oodles of space for big gatherings and views over a lake and mature trees

A light and airy barn conversion, very comfortable and rural, sitting on a hill with views to the south overlooking the Stour valley

A 200-year-old cortijo in a totally tranquil spot with gated pool, two acres of grounds, an orchard and olive terraces with mountain views