A superb escape for groups of friends just a short walk from Salcombe for beaches, bars and boats

Adorable cottages in pastoral peace with views to Wimborne Minster; cook and eat in modern kitchens. Blue flag beaches are close

A glorious country house with everything you need for a fun family holiday: games, pool, big bedrooms, two living rooms & a gorgeous garden

Come for peace and quiet down a long lane, pretty buildings and big, beautifully-kept gardens with a secluded outdoor pool

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Immerse yourself in nature, wildlife, sustainability and slow food high up on the edge of a National Park

Be inspired by owner Oriane’s interiors, explore the region’s famous markets, and soak up the charm of the Perche countryside

A beautifully converted building, part of an old mill, now a gorgeous place to stay with the stream running through and shared parkland

A characterful old farm small hotel with a happy range of animals and a cool pool, in a wildly lovely spot near the coast and hilltop Vejer

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest

An ancient farmhouse transformed into a peaceful place to stay with lovely gardens, a swimming pool and delicious organic food

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

Exceptional generosity reigns at this complex of 5 excellent, colourful holiday apartments, with pool and meals, on the Sorrento Peninsula

An historic, moated manor house dating from the 16th-century, fully restored and with all mod cons, including an indoor heated pool

Between Florence and Siena, stay in one of five stylish apartments on a family-run agriturismo; they delight in sharing this slice of heaven

In a commanding position surrounded by private land, this old manor house is excellently equipped and ideal for a big family holiday

A richly atmospheric elegance infuses this fire-warmed inn. Venison from the park, crab from Cromer, walkers and dogs happy in the bar

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani