Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

A romantic little bolthole with a hot tub on the Penicuik Estate with well-thought-out interiors and dreamy views over pastures and woodland

Take in the stunning views, explore the narrow medieval lanes and soak up the old-world charm of one of France’s most beautiful villages

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

Come for a village feel, rural peace and boundless Portuguese countryside at this charming whitewashed home with a super terrace with views

A very tastefully restored old stone stable on a gloriously rural estate with woodland gardens, lake and a deer park

Romantics will love this small converted hut-on-a-hillside surrounded by pines and olives with stunning views over the old town and the sea

Two lovely cottages sleeping eight for very special holidays with a private beach, acres of land to explore and a welcome hamper of dreams

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

In a profoundly peaceful spot between arty St Ives and stunning Marazion, a hideaway for two surrounded by gardens and parkland

A seamless blend of ancient and modern in this architect-designed villa with infinity pool and veranda for admiring the wonderful views

A warm retreat in a charming Sussex backwater, with a changing menu of fabulous food, and well-furbished bedrooms upstairs

An airy converted barn with beautiful woodwork and countryside views. Reach riverside restaurants and St Malo within a 15-minute drive

Escape to a rural idyll on a working olive and citrus farm in the toe of Italy. Attentive hosts, good for kids and great food!

A relaxed home-from-home feel at this Spanish house with old-fashioned charm, a big garden and pool and lovely views from every window

A 17th-century Westmorland barn, fully renovated with a roomy living space and west-facing garden with views of High Street and Blencathra

Georgian country house with rustic charm and a home-from-home feel. In the heart of Wiltshire just outside historic town Bradford-on-Avon