Artistic souls will like it here, and those who enjoy shared meals & getting to know other people in dramatic countryside; Arezzo is 40 km

Cakes from the host & eggs from the hens. Bring a party, bring the dogs, and soak up the history from a very fine house in the Cotswolds

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

Once a hunting lodge, this unique and authentic 18th-century architectural folly sits up a quiet tree-lined drive on the edge of the estate

In wine country, a beautifully revived 16th-century manor and hospitable B&B. Visit Angers’ cathedral, cruise along the Loire to Saumur

A glorious country house with everything you need for a fun family holiday: games, pool, big bedrooms, two living rooms & a gorgeous garden

What a surprise to find a masseria in the heart of a Puglian village. Welcome to Anna’s elegant agriturismo

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

Vast house on an ancient Roman site with big terraced garden and pool. Grand yet homely, with air-con, spa and only 8 km to the city

Nature lovers will be tempted to this gem of a village cottage in the Duddon Valley – a truly peaceful slice of the Lakes

Orchards and ducks, open fires, deep comfort in glorious Wiltshire countryside. Courtyard bedrooms and lovely big kitchen too

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

Close to sandy beaches between Penzance and Helston, three places to stay with characterful interiors and freshly baked scones waiting

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

Breathe, relax in peaceful Provençal countryside: olives, lavender and budding fruit trees. Aix's lively markets are 10 minutes away

A lovely old house and rambling garden in a medieval village with a monumental château, 12th-century church and a good local restaurant

Your very own château in the Dordogne for big family get-togethers and special celebrations

Unwind in a hammock, in the pool, in a balconied rose-coloured bedroom - meander local markets, pick a pepper, cook up a feast and have fun