A fairytale château with ancient roots, now beautifully renovated with lovely bedrooms, terrace, garden and ponds for gracious living

Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

A snug Snowdonia bolthole arranged around a vast boulder, once home to Victorian artists inspired by the setting. For romantic hikers

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Come for a quintessentially English country cottage tucked down a village path with wisteria in the garden and a short walk to a foodie pub

By a lake, enclosed by woodland - a contemporary house and barn, full of handmade furniture – laze in a hammock, walk the Jurassic Coast

Lose yourselves in this picturesque castle, magical with its luxurious rooms and timeless atmosphere. Count and Countess are brilliant hosts

A bright and beautiful six-bedroom house with lovely mature gardens in the glorious Lake District: bring your entire tribe plus the dog

A village setting for this family-friendly cottage-in-a-row with private garden next to the owners' pretty 17th-century thatched house

A beautiful walled historical country house, surrounded by acres of farmland and citrus groves, with wine tastings and kind, charming owners

A hugely seductive and stylish special place - with magnificent views, pool and bikes, vineyards and hilltop villages to visit

A foodie and friendly reinvigorated old pub, with floor to ceiling estuary views. Bring the dog and hit the coastal path

Authenticity and originality combine at this family chateau with its panelled rooms, theatrical flourishes and charming candlelit dinners

Spacious rooms with lovely linen, plus top-notch food in a wonderful setting, this is the best A303 stopover for miles

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

A gorgeous inn lost in lush country with hammocks in the garden, sofas in the drawing room and lovely local food in the popular restaurant

Wonky floors and handmade beds in a restored coaching inn for 4, 6 or 8 - sociable evenings round the farmhouse table, walks from the door

Close to Hexham's centre, a quietly charismatic Victorian home with fresh flowers, homemade bread, sunny courtyard and a friendly little dog