A B&B in a WWF-protected botanical garden beside Lake Maggiore. Wander and explore, take a dip in the lake. This place invites you to unwind

A lovely spot in an AONB for this bright and airy converted barn, one of four round a gravelled courtyard on a 600-acre estate

A converted old granary next to a traditional Welsh longhouse in a deeply rural setting for unfussy nature lovers

A cleverly planned 2020 large family home with all the bells and whistles for superb holidays – swimming pool, gym, barbecue and garden

Delicious vegetarian cooking, a pool, lemon groves and hazy views of the Hyblaean mountains make a perfect escape near Cassibile

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

A large cob and stone Devon farmhouse in a sheltered dip near to Rosemoor and the coast, with valley views over the garden and pond

Wow. The sort of place you long for on dreary days - inspired architecture, heavenly views, delicious home-cooked food, a lake for swimming

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

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

Come for serene countryside, walks through bird-filled woods and this lovely old house with gracious hosts and very beautiful bedrooms

A private house set in Cornwall's largest rewilding estate, ancient and quiet, made for slow family gatherings and long, easy days

Three restful B&B apartments, unique and stylish with communal spaces, wellbeing and healing, delicious home-cooked food

A new-build in local stone with vast windows gazing out at the meeting place of three beautiful lochs, surrounded by 12 acres of croft land

This cottage is stylish and serene, beautifully transformed from an old farm building – come for golf, beaches, walks and bird-watching

A perfectly renovated farmhouse in the grounds of a delightful château deep in the Normandy countryside, with a lovely walled garden

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

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