Down a track with a delightfully remote feel but near to the coast and with good walking and cycling; views out to sea are awesome

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

Gather your loved ones and come for colourful, exuberant interiors, an absolutely gorgeous covered veranda and a pool with moveable floor

Peaceful escape for couples in the grounds of a stately Tudor manor house; watch the wildlife from your garden, explore the nearby coast

A grand, 16th-century Breton château complete with dovecote, turret and chapel surrounded by 50 acres of parkland, woods and small lake

A homespun inn with irresistible prices in a tiny village deep in the country - the river Tweed is close, fishing can be arranged

Two family-friendly gites (big groups can take both) with beautiful gardens, sparkling pool, activities for children and peace for parents

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

A bright and spacious cottage set against a backdrop of woodland for days spent happily reading by the wood-burner or lunch on the sun deck

Historic inn offering classic pub food with a modern twist, immaculate rooms and glorious countryside for miles around

Smart country inn in Constable country with lovely rooms and food - grab a picnic, hire a boat and drift along the river Stour

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

Rustic charm meets modern comfort in peaceful Devon hideaway set in acres of wild meadows and ancient orchards, with glorious swimming pool

Nature lovers will be tempted to this gem of a village cottage in the Duddon Valley – a truly peaceful slice of the Lakes

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

A fine designer house and pool above the coastal hurly-burly and one of the loveliest coves in Spain, backing onto a nature park. Happy hols

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley