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

This grand house on the river Derwent oozes old-fashioned comfort – find traditional bedrooms, delicious food and an open fire

An idyllic cottage for animal lovers, children, peace seekers and walkers. Immaculate interiors and breathtaking views soothe the soul

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

Take in the stunning views, explore the narrow medieval lanes and soak up the old-world charm of one of France’s most beautiful villages

Peaceful, traditional country house just 2 miles from central Dorking. Relaxed hosts, good food, beautiful gardens, walks galore - a retreat

Family-run B&B in an authentic and informal home. Stay for delicious dinners, walk along the river, explore Umbria’s heritage

One of five cottages on the Wern Estate, all comfort and charm, with a garden for kids, rockpools at Black Rock Sands and a mountain railway

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

A grand spot with superb Peak District views for this secluded, immaculate conversion of a handsome stable block - spacious and light

A beautifully renovated traditional manor house with extensive gardens and orchard, a pool with a deck in a meadow and a terrace for dining

Bright, cosy cottage off the beaten track between the South Hams and Dartmoor, with good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom

A gorgeous apartment in the heart of a Jacobean-style manor house with sweeping views over woodlands and the wonderful gardens

An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

Cosy bolthole for two in a tiny hamlet next to a river and pub; walk the hills or spend the day at the unspoiled coast