A joy for foodies, peace seekers and lovers of period architecture… note the Honduran mahogany banister with inlaid jet and pearl

Provençale-meets-English country house to great effect – cycle Mont Ventoux, walk to the monastery, visit Roman towns and vineyards

All you'd hope for, and more! Enormous rooms, marvellous beams, majestic views, and delicious food and wines from their vineyard

A semi-detached 19th-century stone cottage, scrupulously renovated with indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and terrace in a quiet spot

Come for strawberries in summer, walnuts in winter, and a wonderful welcome all year round. Thierry and Charlotte are living their dream

The central part of a much larger building in a 17th-century hamlet with bright, spacious rooms, shared pool and glorious private gardens

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Two elegantly renovated spaces with wonderful views, lots of activities and large gardens for making memories with family and friends

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

Brilliant birdwatching, heavenly countryside, a generous welcome and lovely furnishings... A place to linger as long as you can

A gorgeous old gardener's house in grand Belle Epoque style, filled with every comfort and sitting in the grounds of a magnificent château

Escape to this contemporary barn on a friendly farmstead with fern-fringed cliffs and walks galore on your door. Ask about ferry discounts

Comfortable apartment steeped in Breton history, in a beautifully renovated gabarier’s house overlooking the marine estuary

Old beams and rich history: a dramatic setting for fireside chats, superb breakfasts (home-reared, baked, grown) - and Midsomer Murders

A delight to stay in this 1880s croft house on the quieter west coast - fabulous vegetarian and vegan food, thoughtful rooms, lovely owners

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

Find history and splendour in bucketfuls on this huge, friendly, wooded domaine. A winning combination of modern luxury and ancient peace

A peaceful cottage for 2-4 between the Dales and the Moors, with swallows in the barn, an idyllic village, and a garden to explore