Sofas in front of the fire, English wines and local ales, ambrosial food and smart rooms, all a short stroll from Sissinghurst Castle

A heavenly setting for this very well-hidden cottage with its own small pool, amazing views and delightful pebble beach below

Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Brilliant birdwatching, heavenly countryside, a generous welcome and lovely furnishings... A place to linger as long as you can

A great little place, hugely popular, with stylish bedrooms, lovely food, happy staff and a winning position on the river Wyre

There’s a calm feel to this three-storey cottage, close to the centre of Bridport and the beach. Great for families, walkers and dogs

Rooms are good value, breakfast is taken overlooking the garden and there's superb veggie food next door - a Sawday's Community Champion

A thoughtful conversion of an old farm barn with beautifully-beamed interiors - a flawless, rural escape for romantics and dreamers

Come for the utter silence and the rare beauty of this far north-westerly landscape, teeming with wildlife. An antidote to city life

A restored Grade II listed flint barn with roots in the 13th century, a serene lily pond and mesmerising views over the South Downs

A handsome château filled with intrigue and interest on the edge of a Bastide town in Landes. Your charming host looks after you with aplomb

A pretty little cottage in a holiday hamlet surrounded by fields, just a stone's throw from the coast and Binic for happy escapes

Once a shooting lodge, this stand-alone big building was part of a medieval estate and you can still see the grassy mount and dungeon tower

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

Homely furnishings and 17th-century charm at this estate on the Severn, whose owners are mad about horses and give you fine home produce

A grand old Georgian building with a big old welcoming atmosphere, roaring fires, delicious food, ales and wine, warm and calming bedrooms

Two family-friendly gites (big groups can take both) with beautiful gardens, sparkling pool, activities for children and peace for parents