A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Winter fires, a summer pool, and gorgeous food all year round... Live slow in the hills of

A sculptor's studio, flooded with light, converted into a restful holiday home surrounded by glorious countryside, near Totnes

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

An 1800s former watermill, now elegantly converted to give B&B rooms plus a self-catering cottage in the Côte d'Opale, superb for walking

Come for good architecture, thoughtful design and much space for relaxing: swimming, massages, hammam and sauna, beautiful bedrooms

One of the loveliest houses in a very lovely village. Pretty rooms have parquet floors and white walls, the food is a delight

Delightful almshouse, steeped in history, in a peaceful churchyard setting with far-reaching countryside views

Sumptuous suites arranged around a sunny internal courtyard inside an ancient monastery - an intimate sanctuary for those who seek comfort

What a surprise! Tucked into a row of tightly woven old cottages is this contemporary open-plan hideaway with huge windows and much flair

A fortified castle in parkland, built mostly in the 1300s on the Montbazens plateau, near to the stunning Averyon gorges

A charming gite tucked into acres of ancient parkland, with an outdoor kitchen and deer wandering by at dusk

Come to walk, cycle, fish and hunker down in style in front of the wood-burner - sleep in deep comfort in a lovingly converted barn

A vine-clad stone house hideaway for lovers, walkers, artists and hermits with a sweet veranda overlooking woodland down to the river

Comfortable Clifton home a hop from shops, restaurants, harbour ferry and the heart of Bristol. With easy-going hosts and great breakfasts

Flop in a hammock and be lulled by Mediterranean scents and breezes, relax in an ancient trullo - come here for raw beauty and long views

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