Explore from this picturesque village; hike, cycle or ride through beautiful nature. Lay your head in creative, comfortable rooms

A picture-perfect thatched cottage down a narrow track on a private estate with woodland walks, a big garden and a communal barbecue

Delightful almshouse, steeped in history, in a peaceful churchyard setting with far-reaching countryside views

Rural bliss at the end of the lane: a cottage for 2 with wine and local biscuits in the hamper and farmers’ markets within a 5-mile drive

A shady terrace runs the full length of this old barn, overlooking magnificent trees and fields of sheep. Riberac is a 10-minute drive

An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

Elegant rooms behind a popular village pub with country walks from the door, and the spectacular Peak District and stately homes nearby

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

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

In the heart of the East Sussex countryside, a fun community inn, with rustic-historic bedrooms, scrumptious food, and a great welcome for dogs

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

A sweet, very private-feeling annexe in the glorious South Hams with your own west-facing garden

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

Lovely slice of the Mediterranean with splendid rooms in deepest Cheshire. Sip an aperitif on the sunny terrace

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

Peaceful Georgian house with beautifully proportioned rooms, sumptuous meals, swimming and tennis. Dartmoor is on the doorstep

A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls