Simple but stylishly furnished village house, terrific hill-top views, low-impact design, organic cooking and a hot tub; utterly peaceful

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

An ever-changing interior for this stunning pod, commissioned by a different artist each year. Creative, fun - a Sawday's Community Champion

Quirky lights and vintage 60s pieces add character to an immaculate home bathed in light and serenity - launch pad for stylish temptations

4 comfy, stylish rooms and a wonderful host who spoils you rotten: hearty breakfasts, walking maps and Peak District views

Live in the lap of luxury in a 600-year-old regenerated farmhouse, enjoy fine fittings, great lighting, games, castle view and infinity pool

Immersed in nature, high in the magnificent Cheviot Hills, this wooden-clad off-grid cottage has sleek, modern interiors and grand views

A serene retreat in a residential area of Ragusa, with the historic centre just a short distance. Enjoy pool, spa and gardens

Cool, airy villa with Lake Como glistening below. Beautiful terraces and garden, plunge pool - and chilled prosecco and cake to welcome you

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

Comfortable redbrick cottage with views on the Heydon Hall estate. It’s delightfully rural, yet close to Reepham for pubs and shops

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Fragrant gardens full of fruit trees, a lovingly renovated house just a few minutes’ walk from the village, and excellent breakfasts

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

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare

Elegant historic house set in acres of grounds transports you to a bygone belle époque (with all mod cons)