A super Georgian cottage with its own private garden, very comfortable bedrooms and acres of bird-filled grounds to explore

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Two homely gîtes sleeping 4 and 2 in rural farm country. Walk to the bakery; drive 15 minutes to Saint-Malo and riverside restaurants

A smart village local with original timber frames, a lively bar, elegant rooms and delicious food from the fields around you

A family-run, environmentally friendly bistro with rooms near Grasmere: climb to the nearest viewing spot. Dogs welcome too

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

A very grand façade for this handsome Charente village house with a beautiful, peaceful garden, creamy stone walls and olive trees

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

Victorian country house for 8-15 with gardens overlooking the Howgill Fells for happy reunions with family and friends

A beautifully designed wooden lodge with hot tub on the deck, glass-front wood-burner, plenty of space and complete immersion in nature

A delightful harled stone and wood house yards from the sea with glorious hills behind, for walkers, dreamers, nature lovers and adventurers

In truffle, lavender and olive oil country, a dreamy wine château with terraced gardens, run by hosts whose happiness is infectious

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

Treat yourselves to a stay on one of the oldest wine estates in Provence and a family house from the 1740s, complete with antiques

Encircled by wild dales and rugged fells, this spoiling cottage cocoons you in countryside peace with the added fun of a sauna in the garden

A converted 19th-century church in the Northumberland National Park with beautiful stained-glass windows and a restored tower

You will fall in love with this very special Tuscan agriturismo between the mountains and sea: peace and simplicity prevail