Your very own love nest: frolic in the outdoor rolltop, hunker by the wood-burner, bask in the gardens... near Lakes and Dales

After trekking Offa's Dyke, return to a cosy wood-burner stocked with logs and a sumptuous bed - you'll love this country retreat for two

White-painted beams, wonky white walls and your own parking spot fairly nearby. You're near the harbour and subtropical gardens

A three storey house and garden with sea glimpses in the 'vieux village' named for the Mimosa trees which flower in profusion in winter

20 minutes’ walk from Gordes and a hop from Aix, find grownup peace and minimalism for lovers of modern style and timeless Provence

A warm retreat in a charming Sussex backwater, with a changing menu of fabulous food, and well-furbished bedrooms upstairs

It's quiet among the lavender plants... bees humming, sun shining. Splash in the shared pool, visit lovely villages, taste local wines

Ensconce yourselves in the Black Périgord and stay in the East Wing of a 16th-century castle with private garden and surrounding parkland

A lovely spot in an AONB for this bright and airy converted barn, one of four round a gravelled courtyard on a 600-acre estate

Bring boots, maps, your dog and an appetite for high places and deep comfort in this restored farm conversion

Live like a local at these rustic apartments with a shared courtyard; walk to restaurants and shops, take the ferry to the beach

A spacious farmhouse with a pool in the grounds of a stately château. Wander the walled garden, explore the countryside and pretty villages

Two comfortably converted farm buildings, with a shared pool on a gentle south-east sloping vineyard with wonderful views

An iconic Cotswold pub, restored to perfection, with a cracking bar, elevated pub food and some super-smart bedrooms in pub and extension

Two family and dog friendly retreats for lovers of the countryside, birdwatchers and those wishing to escape the crowds

Get away from it all in 'old' France, where melons taste like melons & hikes start from the door. This rural bolthole is a serious treat

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors