The smallest of three secluded cottages that share a gravel courtyard and a beautiful garden with cathedral views

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Award-winning Aga-cooked breakfasts, scented candles, gorgeous beds... Come for a break from clock-watching and a spot of Shropshire air

A wonderful watery setting for a super family hotel. White sands and sunsets, waddling ducks, breakfasts to relish …

Family-run B&B in traditional trulli with hands-on hosts. Swim in the pool, explore the countryside, the coast is half an hour’s drive away

Restored 18th-century farm building surrounded by countryside, with a good pub a short walk away and Lake Windermere a ten-minute drive

A lovely gîte with cool lines and its own shady terrace plus pool, gardens, fountain and a relaxed family-friendly feel

A lovely little bolthole for two on a gorgeous estate with restaurant, deli and superb gardens, sculpture walk and wildflower meadows

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

Soak up Provençal peace in a charming estate in the Alpilles, with stylish ground-floor B&B rooms, olives, vines and a friendly family dog

An 18th-century coaching inn wrapped in countryside now a relaxed pub with rooms serving excellent food and drink with 16 inviting bedrooms

A smart launch pad for visiting all things Champagne-related and Reims with its enchanting cathedral. All is cosy, luxurious...

Two restored mill buildings in the serene French countryside, with river views and artful interiors – a peaceful self-catering escape