Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

A welcoming country-house hotel that’s popular with locals and visitors alike - good food, stylish rooms and an airy restaurant wait

Come for a restorative and restful stay on a wine estate with a beautiful landscaped garden and engaging owners who make you delicious meals

A 17th-century Westmorland barn, fully renovated with a roomy living space and west-facing garden with views of High Street and Blencathra

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

A spacious farmhouse with a pool in the grounds of a stately château. Wander the walled garden, explore the countryside and pretty villages

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

This secluded New Forest inn is a magnet for families in summer: a good pint and the log fire make it a superb winter hideaway too

On the riverside, a short walk into Godalming, this lovely 18th-century pub with a peaceful garden has beautiful bedrooms and inventive menus

Contemporary studio in a classic Cotswold village. Peaceful bolthole for creatives and walkers - with shops, cafés and pubs a stroll away

Paradise for adventurers in Scotland’s wild Torridon Hills - loch views and luxury touches surrounded by water, woodland and wildlife...

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

A 16th-century timbered riverside inn with a relaxed, rustic feel, garden cabin rooms with views and fresh seasonal and homegrown food

Cosy country cottage for four on an organic farm in the Welsh borders. Wake to the sounds of birds and sheep, walk off supper on rural romps

A truly peaceful and charming hideout in a joyful, bird-filled setting - look after yourselves and retreat, or be thoroughly spoiled

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

Come to be inspired - by the buildings, the art, the concept and the rich history. You should be very comfortable too, and well fed

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