An 18th-century watermill with millrace and pond, now a smart B&B with a swimming pool and pretty gardens, run by charming English hosts

Discover warmth, tranquillity and wonderful breakfasts behind the handsome old door of this luxurious small hotel in Lucca

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

A boutique hotel on the edge of Arcachon Bay. A natural pool, zen gardens, contemporary Eastern-style interiors, and good food await

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

A village setting for this family-friendly cottage-in-a-row with private garden next to the owners' pretty 17th-century thatched house

Luxuriate in style at this central Lecce palazzo with gorgeous rooms, delicious breakfasts (lunch & dinner by arrangement). Walk everywhere

A tucked-away and peaceful retreat from which to explore the beautiful Dordogne or simply to unwind and recharge

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

A quintessential Grade II listed thatched cottage with glorious gardens near a 13th-century church and surrounded by rolling hills

The central part of a much larger building in a 17th-century hamlet with bright, spacious rooms, shared pool and glorious private gardens

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

You're on an ancient packhorse trail just a stone's throw from the coast. There's a timeless feel to this place and the peace is deep

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

Perfect for lovers of the quintessentially English cottage - carefully renovated and classily stylish - a ramble to nearest pub

A family-run 1700s thatched Inn in a rural hamlet with super food, a grand team to look after you and picnic benches in a pretty garden

Once a shooting lodge, this stand-alone big building was part of a medieval estate and you can still see the grassy mount and dungeon tower

Sumptuous bedrooms and a cheering big fireplace above these old stables on the Egton Estate, great for walks and wildlife, a hop from Whitby