Immaculate Cotswold beauty with great food, welcoming staff, handsome rooms and a sun-trap terrace, plus countryside walks from the door

20 minutes’ walk from Gordes and a hop from Aix, find grownup peace and minimalism for lovers of modern style and timeless Provence

View-filled apartments in Ortigia, the heart of Siracusa. Immerse yourself in the blue of the Ionian Sea; walk to culture, shops and restaurants

A wonderful taste of Andalucian life here at these sweet farm cottages with long views. Walks radiate from the door, Granada is close

A converted farmhouse set in a large mature garden, well located for exploring the delights of the Lot et Garonne south of the Dordogne

History, tranquillity and genuine warmth in a beautifully restored medieval château, deep in the heart of the countryside

Families will adore coming here, to reconnect through wonderful outdoor activities in glorious countryside and to feel cossetted indoors

A 16th-century timbered riverside inn with a relaxed, rustic feel, garden cabin rooms with views and fresh seasonal and homegrown food

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

A vibrant open-plan space with a wild garden, river for swimming, splashing or fishing and the chance to spot kingfishers and red squirrels

B&B rooms, some with kitchenettes, in a lush garden setting with a river running behind. The pretty village is on your doorstep

Dine wonderfully on farm-fresh food and grandma's recipes; cookery classes too! And views, a pool, farm animals, sunsets, a warm family...

Tucked down a private driveway, this restored 19th-century farm building offers superb breakfasts, well-dressed beds and a beautiful garden

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A lovely Victorian cottage on a quiet village road, traditional and comfortable inside and with a fully enclosed garden at the back

Feel like the lord or lady of the manor at this sublime restoration of a Tudor, timber-framed stone house in lovely Ludlow

Serious art, lovely lighting, great sound system and a fat wood-burner belting out the heat at this super place for families or friends