A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

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

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

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

A stunning château with huge rooms, pretty balconies with views, peaceful garden. Super owners, excellent dinners - and child-friendly too

A rustic and elegant farmhouse retreat in Provence with a pool, vineyards and wildlife-filled pond – a launchpad for the Luberon

Bring boots, maps, your dog and an appetite for high places and deep comfort in this restored farm conversion

Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable

B&B rooms, some with kitchenettes, in a lush garden setting with a river running behind. The pretty village is on your doorstep

Breathe, relax in peaceful Provençal countryside: olives, lavender and budding fruit trees. Aix's lively markets are 10 minutes away

A relaxed and stylish hotel on the Norfolk coast with an impressive restaurant, sumptuous bedrooms and super staff

The Gautiers have the finest sense of how to treat guests: dreamy bedrooms, fantastic food & the pool beneath the orange trees is a delight

A rural idyll with a hot tub under starlit skies and surrounded by gorgeous countryside in the South Lakes within a hop of vibrant Cartmel

An old bakehouse, part of a farm gifted to The National Trust for Jersey with a beautiful walled garden filled with wildflowers in spring

Discover warmth, tranquillity and wonderful breakfasts behind the handsome old door of this luxurious small hotel in Lucca

Jagged Dolomite peaks frame every view from this farmhouse with two neat apartments – come sun or snow, adventures in nature await

Rooms in an old palazzo in the historic centre of town, with a swimming pool, restaurant and café, and lovely beaches a short drive away

Immerse yourself in nature, wildlife, sustainability and slow food high up on the edge of a National Park