You have your own entrance to a private wing with a garden and an elegant sitting room. Bedrooms are beautiful and breakfast scrumptious

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

A magical chateau set in the forested hills of Burgundy with lovely rooms, peaceful walks, home cooking and a merry welcome

This shuttered, stone maison in Gascony on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims' route is a joy for families to spend time together

A great spot for two plus two, with a decked area that gazes on copses, stream and treehouse. Wallow your cares away in the hot tub

Between Florence and Siena, stay in one of five stylish apartments on a family-run agriturismo; they delight in sharing this slice of heaven

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

Stylish bedrooms, scrumptious fish menu. Fill your boots (and pack your wellies) at this village gem in Derbyshire's lovely crown

A true country classic set beside the road in a quiet spot with stunning views to the South Downs, great food and very comfortable bedrooms

Dreamy, languid beauty at this spacious, airy, arty house with garden and pool in typical Pugliese countryside

A wonderful old 1397 village inn, filled with history and character. Find gracious bedrooms, roaring fires, good food and a pretty garden

Bountiful breakfasts, the warmest of owners and Breton adventures. Enjoy romantic ruins, quaint villages and delicious seafood suppers

A lovely house set in 20 hectares with a park, two ponds, paths winding through and a pretty river. Delicious locally-sourced meals too

A peaceful spot for this beautifully restored old barn surrounded by lovely gardens and a sparkling pool on the banks of the Dordogne river