A cool pub with smart rooms, English ales and Thai-inspired food. Farringdon tube is round the corner and you can walk to the Barbican

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

Converted stables in the grounds of a manor house in a peaceful village just outside Banbury with lovely walking in the Cherwell Valley

A lovely big old farmhouse for gatherings of friends and family with your own indoor pool, sauna, gym and jacuzzi

An immaculately restored old inn with generous bedrooms, great food, ale and wine. Locals love it as much as those who make it a destination

A honey-hued family home clad with vines and roses with a swimming pool and heaps of space – perfect for families

A home filled with beautiful things, effortlessly combining history and comfort, in a charming village in the Friulian Prealps foothills

Stables turned into bright, comfortable holiday homes in countryside near Battle - for couples and families, whose dogs are very welcome too

An airy, well-designed hideaway for two in an ancient barn on a quiet farm. This is prime walking country with Hadrian’s Wall nearby.

The village is tiny, the bar is lively, the food is delicious. The Cotswolds are at your feet and you’re encouraged not to lift a finger

Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

This secluded New Forest inn is a magnet for families in summer: a good pint and the log fire make it a superb winter hideaway too

Stay in the grounds of a 19th-century château turned family home, where 500-year-old oak trees shade a glorious garden

A small and stylish townhouse retreat in leafy Folkestone with excellent bedrooms and a terrace for breakfast in summer

An eye-catching ancient inn with a colourful flower garden in summer, delicious local food and very presentable bedrooms

A little gem tucked on a rural Northumbrian estate with other cottages. The rugged coast and lovely Alnwick make for super day trips