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

You’ll love Tintinhull Gardens, Montacute House, Ham Hill, the Prince of Wales pub... and this sweet, fresh, cosy, rustic cottage for two

Come for the utter silence and the rare beauty of this far north-westerly landscape, teeming with wildlife. An antidote to city life

Historic village inn with wonderful cooking and a Provençal-style courtyard garden; drive to the Jurassic Coast in half an hour

Once a pub, now a friendly home, with all you need for a market town break. Park the car (or leave at home) – everything is on the doorstep

On a farmstead near Ronda where views stretch for miles are 2 houses, one old, one new, brilliant for families, sharing a fabulous pool

An enchanting Belle Epoque villa with a terraced garden and superb views across palm trees and vines to Mont Saint-Michel

Come for wide open countryside criss-crossed by a myriad of footpaths and this very comfortable, stylish and roomy retreat

A perfectly romantic and gorgeously restored bothy in a garden on a hillside by the sea, with grand views over the mountains of Skye

Come for amazing food at breakfast, really comfortable bedrooms with garden views and lovely Sasha (and her dogs) who will spoil you

Popular with families, this Glen of Rannoch mountain-view cottage with a homely atmosphere is a cheerful place to stay year-round

Come for an authentic French village experience in this old stone house next to the church with glorious countryside for walks and cycles

An incredible living museum, dedicated to the history of Sicily and the arts. Stay in the main house or in a cottage in the fecund garden

A gorgeous big old house on a farm in a very quiet part of Wiltshire - the undiscovered North Wessex Downs, filled with wildlife and an AONB

A magnificent medieval tower in the grounds of an 18th-century château sitting in a dreamy valley. Come for superb gardens and architecture

Come to be cossetted in this 300-year-old Burgundy farmhouse with rose garden, sheltered pool and convivial Dutch owners

Good looking barn conversion for sociable gatherings on an organic farm – meet the animals, take a day trip, go walking

Stunning, spacious 3-storey converted mill with stylish bedrooms. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river, eat at a hand built oak table