A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls

A rural farmhouse B&B with view-filled bedrooms, hearty breakfasts and walks from the door. The Dowies are generous hosts

A restored Dordogne farmhouse with a dash of Scandi flair - heated pool, bucolic views, and beautifully designed bedrooms

A charming base in historic Beaulieu - expect delicious food, traditional country-house interiors, and walks that start from the front door

Contemporary boathouse for all the family. Find rock pools, a shingle beach and plenty of ozone in the salty Cornish air

Elegant Italian style in a sensitively-restored villa with sweeping views over rolling hills and forests

A very pretty Victorian gothic house of limestone and brick, sitting peacefully on the edge of the village, eight miles from foodie Ludlow

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

High in the Tuscan hills, at the end of an avenue of cypresses, surrounded by parkland and acres of olives... a 13th-century dream

An exquisitely restored 1850s townhouse, steeped in history, with a sweet garden and within walking distance of the historic centre of Porto

A beautifully restored building in a vast, open space dotted with olive trees and fragrant citrus - unwind in the calming atmosphere

A 1750 one-storey former farm building, beautifully converted into a lovely hideaway for walkers, nature lovers and peace seekers

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

Vistas of olive groves, village life and the sea; gaze and daydream from this beautiful spot. A Michelin recommended restaurant to boot

A lodge house in magnificent gardens, which are all yours when visitors leave. A sweet retreat for anyone, but gardeners will adore it

Climb Snowdon - or take the train. Swim, cycle, visit Nat Trust houses. A deliciously quirky retreat for 2 (and babe-in-arms) near Anglesey

A delightful holiday home for a big family or group of close friends. Children and dogs can charge about safely, you can unwind completely

An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms