A comfortable and characterful 1775 gatekeeper's lodge on the Mount Congreve Estate with access to the magnificent gardens

Genuine hosts, fabulous food, a swimming pool and a private speedboat for exploring the coast; a sandy beach is a ten-minute walk away

Get away from it all in 'old' France, where melons taste like melons & hikes start from the door. This rural bolthole is a serious treat

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

An ancient farmhouse transformed into a peaceful place to stay with lovely gardens, a swimming pool and delicious organic food

For retreats, groups of friends, and big families: come to recharge the senses at this special and ancient house enveloped by wild gardens

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

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

A light-filled, modern house with wonderful sea views through vast picture windows stretching all the way to St Kilda on clear days

Remote and rural, this cosy cottage is a slice of Welsh heaven, with plenty to do and see just a short drive away

Ensconce yourselves in the Black Périgord and stay in the East Wing of a 16th-century castle with private garden and surrounding parkland

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

A stunning setting for this B&B - the village a thousand feet below you and views to both snow-capped Alps and Provence lavender fields

A handsome old country manor house in the heart of the Loire castles surrounded by parkland, forests, lakes, small hamlets, vineyards and châteaux

Feel very private in this light and bright B&B room with your own patio and pleasing views over garden and countryside

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

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