A stylish, canal-side inn – you get Sunday lunch, tow paths that lead into Edinburgh, then a pretty garden and cute rooms

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

Cosy cottage on a working farm just ten miles from Edinburgh with spectacular views, walks from the door and a wood-fired sauna

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

A cosy bolthole on a scenic estate with red kites soaring overhead and views to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) - the walking is sublime

Good old-fashioned service, fresh and gleaming surroundings, great food and very comfortable rooms at this rejuvenated roadside inn

Fun, playful space for a couple (+ 2 kids) with a semaphore code to crack, shared terrace & rainbow bathroom - a Sawday's Community Champion

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

Peace, space, nature in the Champagne-hugged Somme valley - and home-grown, organic meals with generous French hosts. Family-perfect

A dear little cottage with many comforts and a private garden, off the beaten track and surrounded by mountains, valleys and trees

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

A deeply thoughtful conversion of an old Presbyterian church with wonderful watery views, much wildlife and plenty of space for joyful times

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London

Historic wartime fields, now prime walking country, ring this pub with rooms - come for hearty food, cosy corners and a proper pint

Come for breezy bedrooms, pretty gardens, a serene pool and delicious breakfasts at this gorgeous finca in rural Extremadura near Trujillo

An enchanting escape immersed in nature yet only 40 minutes by train into the Eternal City for art and history-filled days

A peaceful retreat with yoga and activities to restore and renew, in the Andalusia hills between Granada and the Mediterranean coast