Rooms in the house overlook the vineyard, the lodges are surrounded by it - check out the vines, then drink their wine with a good dinner

A charming villa in a quiet neighbourhood with pool, fab sea views & an easy stroll to eateries. Water sports & golf are easy from here

Secluded country house hotel with gracious rooms and dining; stroll the grounds, visit the coast, Beverley is only a five-minute drive away

Built in the 1800s, a charming stone house on the Penicuik Estate with views over woodland and hills and calming, beautiful interiors

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

Beautiful architecture, amazing wine cellars, great food, and hosts with an infectious enthusiasm for classical music. Lovely French B&B

A sweet bolthole around a courtyard on a smallholding, extremely comfortable, bright and spacious inside and with a communal garden

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Elegant 19th-century château deep in the Dordogne forest promises seclusion, serenity and an unhurried, sun-soaked escape.

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

A sweet, very private-feeling annexe in the glorious South Hams with your own west-facing garden

Artistic souls will like it here, and those who enjoy shared meals & getting to know other people in dramatic countryside; Arezzo is 40 km

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

Light-filled chalet in a small hamlet just outside Châtel. Feast on superb breakfasts before heading out to explore the Portes du Soleil

Small country hotel in a riverside setting near Giverny, with a superb restaurant and a charming village a few minutes’ walk away

A pleasure to stay in such a dreamy château surrounded by a beautiful terrace, elegant gardens and parkland, a lake, river and waterfall

A delightful home-from-home village house with large gardens and walks from the door – perfect for families