Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy

A really well thought-out escape for a small family with children. A big garden, pool, petanque court and play barn for indoor fun

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

A stunning château with huge rooms, pretty balconies with views, peaceful garden. Super owners, excellent dinners - and child-friendly too

Ease yourself into a rather more gracious lifestyle from this sweet retreat on a historic estate with gorgeous walled gardens

Utter peace in a simple, beautiful space with a sculpture garden to wander, an art studio to visit and walking and cycling on Dartmoor

In the heart of arts and craft town Chipping Campden, a beautifully decorated 17th-century house with a celebrated restaurant downstairs

Stylish interiors, beautiful rooms, lovely staff and wonderful food – all this in the Forest of Dean with great walking and cycling trails

A spick and span little hideaway full of character in a manor estate cottage. Explore the gardens, walk to the beach in 25 minutes

Three immaculate rooms in a 17th-century building; step out onto winding streets lined with trattorias, boutiques, fountains and monuments

Spacious gîte in a former hunting lodge, set on one of the oldest estates in Pézenas, for a relaxing getaway with family and friends

A lake to fish, a terrace for evening sun and a choice of two spaces with a shared pool and games room, a short hop from pretty Auvillar

A 16th-century characterful gem right on the harbourside, serving excellent food at reasonable prices and with pleasant bedrooms

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Swings, a terrace and pool in 2 acres ringed by fields and tranquility, and lakes and vineyards beyond. Family bliss in Quercy

Charming cottage in the Peak District National Park for hill walking, cycling and bird watching, or simply unwinding amid much beauty

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