A 17th-century townhouse sitting on a quiet side street with lots of original features and a west-facing patio screened by vines and lemons

This cottage is stylish and serene, beautifully transformed from an old farm building – come for golf, beaches, walks and bird-watching

Two peaceful olive grove farmhouses, a shared pool with incredible views, hours of hiking along beautiful trails, Pisa and Lucca nearby

Your own cottage on a wine estate in a very beautiful part of the South Downs, famed for world-class sparkling wines

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

A large and light house sitting by itself in lovely countryside with a big pool, maturing gardens and superb views up to Saignon on the hill

Hilltop château on the edge of a small village half an hour from Saint-Émilion, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and two lakes

You have your own entrance to a private wing with a garden and an elegant sitting room. Bedrooms are beautiful and breakfast scrumptious

Dorset unfurls all around you: walk the coast path, hunt for fossils, gaze at Durdle Door, explore Weymouth from this sea-facing pub

This small hotel with pool has elegant communal spaces, spoiling bedrooms, kind staff, delicious food and panoramic mountain views

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

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

A newly-renovated barn in a picturesque Cotswold village with an enclosed front garden and the river Eye at the bottom of the drive

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

A most enchanting and welcoming Provençal mas sitting in acres of private parkland with woods, meadows and a small lake for magical stays

Built in 1518 to gaze across the Loire to Amboise and decorated with discreet elegance and respect for its history. Guests love it