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

Generous, fun house, perfect for family gatherings. Head down the hill for sandy beaches or let kids and dogs run wild on the Purbeck coast

A welcoming, warming inn for locals and visitors alike with a blazing log fire, excellent local and seasonal food and proper Devon ales

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

In an outstanding area for lovers of food and wine, here are 3 beautiful boltholes in the Alto Douro, the oldest wine region in the world

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

A beautiful villa, a cabin, a loft and a wagon on the sunny side of the harbour and a stroll from the beach. Faultless finds!

A 13th-century mill with immaculate interiors and a whiff of luxury. Look out to the river, birds, tall trees, and Pézenas up the hill

A country idyll in the hills. Only 15 mins from Faro, but all is peaceful: dip in the pool, sip a cocktail in the shade, book in for dinner

High in Ávila's unspoilt nature is this stylish, eco-brilliant family hotel: mountains, massages, pool, organic dinners... a special escape

Style, comfort and tranquillity combine in a lovely B&B near Bergerac. Sleep in elegant four-poster beds, breakfast on the sunny terrace…

Explore the coastal paths on foot or by bike, or simply sunbathe next to the pool... Leafy gardens, comfortable rooms and excellent dinners

Another bright, beamed and history-filled place to stay on the smart Upton Cressett estate with walks from the door and much comfort within

Stay in a lovely 18th-century townhouse in one of the prettiest villages on the Loire surrounded by unspoilt countryside

A Grade II listed 1669 ex-Almshouse in a row of three in walking distance of the historic town centre of Ashbourne and the Tissington Trail

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

Sumptuous suites arranged around a sunny internal courtyard inside an ancient monastery - an intimate sanctuary for those who seek comfort

Step through a door in an old wooden gate to discover a courtyard garden on the edge of town close to golden sands