Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

Elegant farmhouse B&B. Drawing room with a log fire, generous breakfasts with home produce, cookery courses and friendly welcoming hosts

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

Cakes from the host & eggs from the hens. Bring a party, bring the dogs, and soak up the history from a very fine house in the Cotswolds

Portuguese elegance, artistic décor, breakfast on a fountain'd patio or by the fire: a treat. Step out to a kaleidoscope of Lisbon city life

An old bakehouse, part of a farm gifted to The National Trust for Jersey with a beautiful walled garden filled with wildflowers in spring

A gorgeous big old house on a farm in a very quiet part of Wiltshire - the undiscovered North Wessex Downs, filled with wildlife and an AONB

A taste of old Italy in this off-the-beaten-track rustic house on three levels, exquisitely restored and with elegant designer furnishings

A lovely old traditional mas, built around a courtyard with lots of outdoor space and rambling gardens for happy gatherings, and sunny days

A welcoming, warming inn for locals and visitors alike with a blazing log fire, excellent local and seasonal food and proper Devon ales

Rural retreat, far from the madding crowd. Laze by the infinity pool and take in the views. Inside all is calm and stylish. Stay a while

Green and serene, a striking array of eco cottages on a family farm where style and comfort reign, close to the coast but far from the crowd

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

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

In château parkland, 10 minutes from Chinon, find books, beams and open spaces for three renovated houses, a delight for families

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

Vistas of olive groves, village life and the sea; gaze and daydream from this beautiful spot. A Michelin recommended restaurant to boot

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country