Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

A peaceful, beautiful place to wake up in and to return to after glorious walks, with no near neighbours apart from curious sheep

Linger over a fine breakfast and olive grove valley view, borrow a bike, take to the Francigena pilgrim trail, explore medieval Anagni

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

Stay on a secluded private estate by the sea - once the home of the brilliant French writer, Colette

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

You’ll love Tintinhull Gardens, Montacute House, Ham Hill, the Prince of Wales pub... and this sweet, fresh, cosy, rustic cottage for two

A charming inn on the village green with beautiful interiors - you’ll find low ceilings, pretty rooms and a fire that burns on cold days.

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

Bold, bright decor within the 19th-century walls of this pretty courtyard cottage, with a hot tub and long views over parkland and lake

At the gates of a country estate, two quirky hexagonal lodge houses with private outdoor seating and acres of grounds for walks and picnics

Wend your way down steep paths to Durgan beach, explore the magic of Charles’s wonderful garden and feast on Caroline’s super breakfasts

A Grade II listed pub in pretty Amberley - tuck into innovative menus, explore West Sussex, retire to gorgeous bedrooms

Part of the original Wensleydale creamery overlooking the river, with bustling Hawes and great walking country right on your doorstep

A serene riverside retreat on the Lot, with manicured gardens and a shared pool, tennis court and children's playground for socialising

A pretty upside-down cottage, formerly a dovecote, lovingly restored with sustainability the focus

For escapists, wannabe writers and lovers of rural bliss: two boho hideaways for two (four at a squeeze) in this lush corner of Galicia

3 lovely cottages in the heart of Cognac vines for cosy nights by the fire and summer barbecues by the pool