Elegant house with sprawling gardens and space for family and friends, within walking distance of the coast

An important spot for this grand 19th-century château on the banks of the Loire, steeped in history and with kind, erudite owners

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Take your time here. Lucy will take you round her wonderful garden, introduce you to her donkeys, and share her laid-back approach

In a chocolate-box village just an hour on the train, and a short hop in a taxi, from London is this foodie inn with pretty bedrooms

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

Eschew the crowds for your own slice of bliss in this ancient hamlet with village green - self-catering with a hotel feel and dreamy pool

Pops of colour and neon signs bring fun to this smart and warm family home near Brancaster beach

You’re in Snowdonia National Park: cycle, hike, swim, climb & trampoline to your heart’s content. Come home to comfort, warmth, grand views

Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable

A listed townhouse with 16th-century roots in lovely little Wells with a pretty garden, just a short walk to the magnificent cathedral

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

In wine country, a beautifully revived 16th-century manor and hospitable B&B. Visit Angers’ cathedral, cruise along the Loire to Saumur

Just below the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima, an agriturismo loved by sporty types and families, with wonderful food on site

A large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

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

Stylish bedrooms, scrumptious fish menu. Fill your boots (and pack your wellies) at this village gem in Derbyshire's lovely crown

Georgian country house with rustic charm and a home-from-home feel. In the heart of Wiltshire just outside historic town Bradford-on-Avon