Encircled by wild dales and rugged fells, this spoiling cottage cocoons you in countryside peace with the added fun of a sauna in the garden

Come for summer breakfasts of pastries fresh from the local bakery, afternoons reading by the pool and long, lazy lunches

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

A perfect spot with views of rolling hills, sunflowers and vineyards. Enthusiastic hosts and heaps to do here - watch wildlife, bake, swim

Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families

A charming home-from-home in the Yorkshire Dales with stunning country views; come for Fell walks, great pubs and cosy fireside board games

Good looking barn conversion for sociable gatherings on an organic farm – meet the animals, take a day trip, go walking

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

A large cottage by the walled garden on a peaceful estate with oodles of space for big gatherings and views over a lake and mature trees

Three very special places to stay on one glorious estate. Gather those whose company you enjoy and immerse yourselves in beauty and history

Up, up and away to this stunning cottage perched 1400 feet high in the National Park with big skies, grand walks and much comfort indoors

Magical sunshine-filled grounds with olive trees, palms, cacti and carob surround the charmingly-coloured stone of these 1750 farm buildings

A beautifully restored listed barn of Westmorland stone sitting in a conservation area village in spectacular walking country, near Appleby

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

A delightful house & converted 19th-century barn a short jaunt to the unspoilt beaches of the spectacular Anglesey coast

Generous apartments in a 300-year-old farmhouse with beautiful grounds and a swimming pool