Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character

A row of old brick stables now craftily converted into a light-filled and very peaceful place to stay with a garden room and gorgeous views

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

A nature-filled estate for smart lodge holidays in rural peace with woods and coast to explore, onsite activities and yummy homemade meals

A shady terrace runs the full length of this old barn, overlooking magnificent trees and fields of sheep. Riberac is a 10-minute drive

Glorious boutique hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula with Michelin-starred restaurant and superb cellar to explore

Glass-and-timber doors bathe you with light, gaze at big skies and the river Dart lapping. Sublime year round, it's one of our favourites

Friendly hosts, good food and clever design in this house looking over Kilmartin Glen. Slow down, watch the sunrise and marvel at the peace

A romantic and very comfortable retreat in a smartly converted dairy with a pretty garden, close to the South Downs

A beautiful little collection of trulli near the Valle d’Itria – restored with flair and with gardens, woods and pool

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

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

Take in the stunning views, explore the narrow medieval lanes and soak up the old-world charm of one of France’s most beautiful villages

Come for a quintessentially English country cottage tucked down a village path with wisteria in the garden and a short walk to a foodie pub

Peaceful Georgian house with beautifully proportioned rooms, sumptuous meals, swimming and tennis. Dartmoor is on the doorstep

A majestic renovation of a Victorian 'model' farm with underfloor heating, open plan design, light bright lines and not a whiff of IKEA

Lodge and gardens – superbly designed, immaculate, fresh, eco friendly – rest in unspoilt Picardy. Anglo-French hosts take turns to cook

Come for deep beds, real fires, Scottish breakfasts, a generous welcome, great walking, cycle tracks and grand lochside views