Chichester, blessed with a stunning natural setting, is great for a city break - and this Georgian coach house the perfect bolthole for 2

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

Come to stay in a lovely old house surrounded by an important garden created by three generations of brilliant women gardeners

Come to be thoroughly cosseted and nurtured in this ancient Presbytery surrounded by rolling countryside with views of the Dordogne river

Two riverside properties with incredible views, for walkers, sailors, dogs... and self-caterers who aim to be spoiled rotten

Converted stables in the grounds of a manor house in a peaceful village just outside Banbury with lovely walking in the Cherwell Valley

An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

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

Rural bliss at the end of the lane: a cottage for 2 with wine and local biscuits in the hamper and farmers’ markets within a 5-mile drive

Come for a spot of pampering and seriously good food at this smart townhouse B&B with spa, garden and pool in the heart of Abbeville

Wend your way down steep paths to Durgan beach, explore the magic of Charles’s wonderful garden and feast on Caroline’s super breakfasts

Escape to the heart of the Haute-Savoie and this impressive château near Annecy, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva

A modern take on an Iron Age roundhouse with stunning sea views in Scotland’s wild west, perfect for couples

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

Three gîtes in the Dordogne with panoramic countryside views and a swimming pool – book individually or together for a group holiday

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