A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

A delightful harled stone and wood house yards from the sea with glorious hills behind, for walkers, dreamers, nature lovers and adventurers

Your own wing of a Grade II-listed hall and estate next to a nature reserve, with lovely walks and good restaurants on your doorstep

A countryside escape for 2 near Chepstow with traditional interiors and cheery wood-burner. Not suitable for children but dogs very welcome

Adorable cottages in pastoral peace with views to Wimborne Minster; cook and eat in modern kitchens. Blue flag beaches are close

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

A light larch-clad space for lovers, or a retreat for walkers and writers in pretty Orford, once a medieval sea port but now on the river

A gracious 17th-century manor house and a pretty Grange hidden down a tree-lined drive and with stunning views over woodlands

A renovated barn, part stone, part wood, resembling the tobacco barns of the area with beautiful grounds surrounded by farmland

A smart country-chic bolthole (one of three apartments) within a gorgeous Georgian home in the tranquil Wye Valley AONB

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

A cosy and homely Breton gîte in a sociable setting - distinctly rural but with masses to do: pool, play areas, and café

A lovely, rambling old house for family gatherings with an extra cottage for bigger groups, a gorgeous garden and hilltop villages nearby

A beautifully-restored old cow shed, light and airy, floating over a wildflower meadow in spring and summer. 20 mins from the Jurassic Coast

Elegantly restored mariner’s cottage with tasteful interiors and sweeping, uninterrupted views over the ever-changing estuary

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

A sweet bolthole for two and a babe-in-arms or pooch in friendly, foodie Ramsbottom with walks straight into woods and moors

A gorgeous barn conversion in the heart of the High Weald with superb walking, only five miles from Tunbridge Wells