An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

Head down the Strood causeway and step back in time for a slice of Mersea Island's old-world charm: beaches, fresh oysters & a charming inn

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing

In the heart of arts and craft town Chipping Campden, a beautifully decorated 17th-century house with a celebrated restaurant downstairs

Sleek modern interiors now grace this ancient building with architectural joys, a courtyard garden and rooftop terrace with views

A small top terrace can be booked for romantic evenings and you can lunch or dinner at the delightful floating restaurant

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

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

Extraordinary: gourmet food, attentive hosts, a rooftop pool. Wine-taste your way through bucolic Burgundy between Auxerre and Dijon

An architect-designed bolthole with two art galleries, a restaurant, studios and a paper mill by the seaside - a Sawday’s Community Champion

Two spruce spaces for couples in peaceful Cornish countryside; it’s an easy drive to gardens, both coastlines and good eateries

An attractive collection of mellow stone buildings with wonderful views over Monte Amiata and the Val d'Orcia for restful stays

A lovely old stone cottage in a group round a pretty courtyard, with your own private patio and seating area, on the Pink Granite Coast

Lovely small hotel in quirky market town surrounded by miles of stunning country - pretty rooms, tasty food and fine ales wait

No-nonsense farm conversions with open, airy rooms and good big showers sharing a pool, a playground and fabulous views. Great walks, too

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest