An elegant French château brimming with antiques and surrounded by landscaped lawns. Enjoy convivial dinners with the perfect host

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

Escape to this boutique B&B in West Sussex. Long beaches, Goodwood races, Chichester theatres, woodland walks all nearby

Your own cottage sitting room downstairs and a swish bedroom up – breakfast in the courtyard before venturing forth to discover Canterbury

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

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

A magnificent medieval tower in the grounds of an 18th-century château sitting in a dreamy valley. Come for superb gardens and architecture

A roomy, open-plan space for romantics, with complete privacy but with pub, bakery and views of the market garden from your own terrace

Two lovely cottages with a fresh, modern style, private terrace, tranquil communal gardens with an orchard and pool

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Elegant 19th-century château deep in the Dordogne forest promises seclusion, serenity and an unhurried, sun-soaked escape.

Style abounds in this exquisite Côte d'Azur family getaway, where lazy days are whiled away by the pool and in the quiet bird-filled gardens

Romantic cottage within 25 acres of fields, garden and orchard with fresh veg to pick, wellies for walking and animals roaming the farm

A relaxed country feel in this fine family villa. It has space and comfort for six with gardens, private pool, and tennis court

An hour from Edinburgh, this large estate wrapped in ancient woodland & steeped in history is a super outdoorsy retreat – dogs welcome too

A characterful Northumberland cottage-that-once-was-a-barn, with peaceful pond views and some serious stargazing

Sun-dappled walks along the romantic avenues, big bedrooms, breakfasts inside or out, a laid-back atmosphere and great markets nearby

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