An elegant hotel in the quiet side of town with stylish rooms, lovely food and a courtyard garden for cocktails before dinner

Enfolded in gentle Dorset hills and surrounded by trees, a perfect wooden hut for 2 near beaches, River Cottage HQ and many beautiful walks

A spacious lodge near Ronda – bring friends or family to celebrate at this spoiling hideaway in Andalucia. Also available as fully-catered

A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

You’re in the middle of all the action in these luminous cliff edge apartments in an old family palazzo – walk everywhere

A unique 1900 house and garden on the edge of Lyon, steeped in history and authenticity – a beautiful home with museum-quality objects

Charmingly rambling, inside and out: blazing fires, riotous patterns, oak panelling, a prolific garden and comfortable antique beds

Off the beaten track and into the hills – this remote, unknown bird-filled region is faultless for outdoorsy people

A niftily converted barn with high vaulted ceiling sitting on a hill with wonderful views over a newly-created lake and the Stour Valley

A modern take on an Iron Age roundhouse with stunning sea views in Scotland’s wild west, perfect for couples

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

Wisteria, clematis and roses clamber up this pretty stone barn conversion with its own big garden surrounded by mature trees and many birds

A beautiful walled historical country house, surrounded by acres of farmland and citrus groves, with wine tastings and kind, charming owners

The views are green, both cottages are homely and comfortable and the gardens have direct access to the riverbank footpath for walks

Find shade under a cork tree, splash in the pool and wander the garden perfumed by citrus trees. Ideal for families and nature lovers

Tucked down a high-hedged lane on a working farm with gorgeous walks from the door and stunning views of the unspoilt Exe valley

High in the heavenly hills is this very smartly converted farm building, with underfloor heating, much glass, wood and exposed brickwork

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool