This 300-year-old Cotswold pub, the hub of picture-book Sapperton from which there are glorious walks, is a superb place to eat and stay

Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

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

Sweet, peaceful cottage tucked into a quiet lane and within popping distance to all of Ludlow's historical and culinary delights

A comfortable and light-filled converted stone barn in the pretty Vendée, a quiet and rural spot but just half a mile from town

Anouk & Gilles have fine-tuned their welcome. Lounge by the pool and dine exquisitely within their landscaped park

Landscaped gardens, orchard and potager blend into Normandy countryside. Return from rural walks to a log fire and comfortable armchairs

Beauty, charm and tranquillity an hour from Florence, on a bio-sensitive farm known for Chianina cattle and white truffles

A stylish base for those who want to explore the beautiful north – expect good food, stylish interiors and a pretty market town

Two family and dog friendly retreats for lovers of the countryside, birdwatchers and those wishing to escape the crowds

Sumptuous and pampering with monogrammed sheets and frescoed walls.More for honeymooners and couples than lolly-licking tots

Special back-to-nature, stargazing loft for couples and families, on a nature-filled estate in Piedmont

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

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

A surprisingly roomy interior for this pretty chocolate-box cottage in the middle of the village, just a ten-minute walk from Lulworth Cove

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool