Flop in a hammock and be lulled by Mediterranean scents and breezes, relax in an ancient Trullo – come here for raw beauty not for frills

An elegantly renovated coaching inn with inspired design, beautifully simple pub food, tempting ales and gloriously comfortable bedrooms

A Regency farmhouse sitting in a wrap-around garden with views to mountain and sea for wonderful walking, cycling and swimming

Loved by estate-workers, visitors, well-heeled locals, and walkers, this spruced-up pub is a friendly launchpad for Chatsworth

An 1820s farmhouse at the end of a quiet road in the North York Moors National Park, overlooking a forest and surrounded by fields

Woodland retreat above Loch Tummel. Silence, sunsets and star-filled skies in a 70s bungalow that blends retro charm with modern comfort

An elegant townhouse, built in 1830 and once the sous-préfecture for Rochefort, with spacious, light-filled rooms and a garden with pool

Get the full-English bucolic countryside experience at this boutique inn right in the heart of a quintessentially pretty Cotswold village

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

Lodge and gardens – superbly designed, immaculate, fresh, eco friendly – rest in unspoilt Picardy. Anglo-French hosts take turns to cook

Immaculate bedrooms, a rustic bar... but there’s more to this place than cool design. The service is superb and the food is lovely

Wood-burners, water sports and wildlife at four cosy farm conversions a half mile from their own quay. Wild swimming and barbecues await

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

Near Southwold beach, bird reserves and Suffolk castles, a peaceful getaway with orchard, views and generous breakfasts. Good value

Restored stone barn in 22 acres filled with special wildlife, on the edge of Radnor Forest, with walking trails, glorious countryside views

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

Throw open French windows to this sleek self-catering space, with off-street parking. Walk to the beach & the pub, visit historic Chichester

An old sporting lodge in Argyll renovated with sensitivity – fish in the river, gaze at the night skies, climb Ben Udlaidh