All you'd hope for, and more! Enormous rooms, marvellous beams, majestic views, and delicious food and wines from their vineyard

Lively renovation for this 18th-century cottage built of local stone and with a large garden in Modbury. Totnes and sandy beaches are close

You have complete independence in your own wing beside the owner's house, with much space, a sparkling pool and balconies with views

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

Great design along with much comfort and warmth an hour from Inverness airport, but a world away from the city and with stunning views

Quirky, rustic cabin nuzzled by vines and greenery – perfect for lovers, writers and peace-seekers. Take long walks, stroll to the pub

A light larch-clad space for lovers, or a retreat for walkers and writers in pretty Orford, once a medieval sea port but now on the river

Surrounded by delightful gardens, these gîtes are serene retreats from which you can discover the Dordogne, or gently unwind

Your own wing of a Grade II-listed hall and estate next to a nature reserve, with lovely walks and good restaurants on your doorstep

Immersed in vines and valleys, a glorious Girondine villa in which to gather close to Saint-Émilion – come together, walk, read, reconnect

A beautiful villa with a medieval tower surrounded by formal gardens, gentle slopes of perfectly maintained vineyards and wooded hilltops

Simple but stylishly furnished village house, terrific hill-top views, low-impact design, organic cooking and a hot tub; utterly peaceful

A big warm, generous, house for a large group with a fenced garden and stunning views into the far distance. Child and dog friendly

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

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes

A Cotswolds hideaway in a cottage on a farm, with space to roam for children, and glorious valley views

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles