Wrapped in fields and woods, this big traditional house has crisply furnished interiors and plenty of gadgets. Terraced gardens and pool too

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

Nestled next to the main house, this feels part cottage and part townhouse, making a cosy retreat just a couple of miles from the coast

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

Garden lovers will flock to this lovely B&B with two spacious suites and delicious breakfasts – a good spot by a quiet hamlet

Tour the cellars or wander the history-rich château and grounds. A truly pretty place

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

Vineyards, fruit trees and immaculate gardens, amazing food and wine, a sense of seclusion and sweeping views of the Tuscan hills

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

A delightful coastal house with lush courtyard gardens, masses of space, home office and terraces galore

In peaceful Burgundy countryside, a beautifully-restored farmhouse with B&B rooms, delicious regional food and an inviting pool

Gorgeously rural pub with rooms nestled in a leafy Somerset valley: sweet bedrooms, fantastic menus, and charming owners. Dog friendly, too

Gem-like in a deep park among meadows, a family-friendly château with 2 stylish cottages. Join the lovely owners for dinner, dip in the pool

An award-winning log cabin with a grass roof, wood-burning hot tub and wonderful views of the Eildon Hills, just outside Melrose

Hilltop château on the edge of a small village half an hour from Saint-Émilion, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and two lakes

A botanical beauty deep in the Loire Valley, this elegant house has history and heart in abundance

This gloriously off-grid stone farmhouse surrounded by untamed nature will suit those who revel in taking life at a more measured pace

Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character