Beautifully restored medieval hall house – perfect for big family gatherings, with separate cottage, replica steam train and secluded garden

Come for a traffic-free medieval hamlet in sleepy Maremma with easy-going hosts, a beautiful garden and views over the valley

A pretty stone single-storey house, now renovated beautifully into a comfortable hideaway with wonderful views to woodland and river

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

Come for the glorious Peak District and this rural independent pub, with roots in the 12th century, serene bedrooms and toothsome food

Deep in Burgundy's wine country, an elegant maison de maître sits in acres of gloriously private parkland

A true country classic set beside the road in a quiet spot with stunning views to the South Downs, great food and very comfortable bedrooms

A much-loved Tuscan villa restored to elegance: dinner on the terrace, frescoes, rose garden, a small spa…and Florence a 20-minute drive

A warm, inviting boutique hotel in Shrewsbury’s historic centre; potter about the medieval streets, relax in a sun-catching courtyard

A rather grand, opulent house with warm owners, interesting furniture and art and some fine Renaissance architectural elements intact

Enjoy fields of lavender and vines as far as the eye can see from this neat cottage, sharing a pool and gorgeous gardens with other guests

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

An impressive manor house set in gentle rolling countryside ten miles from Oxford with a delightful garden, warm hosts and organic breakfast

Dine in the orangery on excellent cuisine, or take breakfast in bed with the shutters thrown wide. Simply delightful

A charming B&B in south Sardinia, near Cagliari: circled by palms and cypresses, overlooking sweet-smelling lemon & orange groves. Bliss

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

Elegant rooms behind a popular village pub with country walks from the door, and the spectacular Peak District and stately homes nearby