Come to this cosy barn down a winding lane for a back-to-nature escape: hike the Black Mountains, splash in the stream, gaze at the views

With breathtaking views of the hills above Nice, a splendid villa with big bedrooms, shimmering infinity pool, and generous, fun owners

Glorious Elizabethan manor house lovingly furnished with exceptional art and antiques by its welcoming owners

Gracious Florentine hospitality, elegance and comfort, gazebo breakfasts, a flower-filled garden with pool and views of olive groves

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Plenty of restful, comfortable space indoors and out in the Mediterranean garden with its courtyard pool – restaurants to walk to

Elegant Italian style in a sensitively-restored villa with sweeping views over rolling hills and forests

An 18th-century converted barn with lofty beamed ceilings, exposed stonework, handmade oak windows and much art – pretty garden too

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

Picture-perfect Andalusian houses with private, colourful gardens, stunning mountain views and sparkling pool; utterly relaxing

A pair of historic houses with far-reaching views of the Cotswold Hills and walks from the gate

An Edwardian villa with stunning views, polished floors, cosy fires and child-friendly garden a short walk from lovely Portmeirion

Heart-soaring Pyrenean views, animals roaming, natural materials in simple rural rooms, organic food: it’s a superbly welcoming eco-lodge

Gloriously cool in summer, cosy in winter, a 365-day-a-year retreat. Just a 10-minute promenade along the beach into the fun heart of town

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Live like a local. Art lovers, book lovers and walkers will be happy here above an art gallery in the centre of town

Spacious gîte in a former hunting lodge, set on one of the oldest estates in Pézenas, for a relaxing getaway with family and friends

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast