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

Green and serene, a striking array of eco cottages on a family farm where style and comfort reign, close to the coast but far from the crowd

Gloriously cool in summer, cosy in winter, a 365-day-a-year retreat. Just a 10-minute promenade along the beach into the fun heart of town

Peaceful converted barn on a remote working farm – pet the donkeys, wild swim and row on the lake, warm up around the wood-burner

An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

Utter peace and quiet, a pool with a view, sunsets over the Cévennes and outdoor adventures on the doorstep - a hidden gem in the Gard

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

A shady terrace runs the full length of this old barn, overlooking magnificent trees and fields of sheep. Riberac is a 10-minute drive

The privacy of a big terraced garden, a small decked pool and attractive, clutter-free rooms - close to harbour town bustle and restaurants

Rural peace just an hour from London in your own gorgeous converted hay barn, ten minutes from Alton

A wall of glass frames the sea view - take drinks on the waterfront lawn in summer, or by the crackling fire in winter

A large, light-filled house sitting very much on its own in the middle of the peaceful Eden Valley with masses of space inside and out

An art-filled home poised above Hastings Old Town in a wonderfully private, peaceful spot and with a lush, tropical garden

Picturesque cottage in the grounds of a grand manor, lovingly and creatively restored by its welcoming English owner

A sylvan hideaway tucked into the hills of the Southern Alps, full of Provençal charm inside and out – Saint-Cézaire and the coast are close

Understatedly stylish with French antiques, sofas and balconies overlooking town and gardens. A grown-ups' retreat, 200m from the ocean

Straight out of a fairy tale, a rustic cottage by a babbling brook: a magical escape for couples, the craggy coast in easy reach