Perfect for families - a glorious farmhouse surrounded by lavender fields. Rooms are huge and children can roam free in the vast gardens

The inn is the hub of this thriving village in 'the blue remembered hills' with great food and super rooms - a Sawday's Community Champion

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

A place of peace in the hills and a view-filled base for exploring by bike or for experiencing Reiki, meditation, yoga and more

A vine-clad stone house hideaway for lovers, walkers, artists and hermits with a sweet veranda overlooking woodland down to the river

Sitting at the end of the estate's private driveway, this sandstone building has grand Italianate columns and comfortable interiors

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

Blissful views to vineyards and mountains from this faithful reproduction of a 16th-century manor. Eat well, hike, bike, sauna and swim

Hideaway in the hills complete with private pool and outdoor kitchen. Spend days hiking or on a sun lounger - perfect for families

A large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

A honey-hued family home clad with vines and roses with a swimming pool and heaps of space – perfect for families

Leave crowds behind for this charming stone farmhouse in the olive groves of rural Umbria – bring friends and have it all to yourselves

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

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

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

For families and friends, foodies, surfers and lovers of southern Spain’s historic, vibrant Costa de la Luz

Just one hour from London, this remarkable house sits on a unique family-owned Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey

A fin-de-siècle Franco-Scottish décor for this hospitable, entertaining B&B, in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter