Near Southwold - rich colours, fresh flowers and exotica! Fields for the dogs, walled gardens for you, logs, umbrellas, digital showers...

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Beautifully designed timber cabins in the Black Mountains, right next to a lovely old inn serving good, honest food from their own farm

A joyful, inviting house on a 15-acre smallholding in Devon. Super food, gracious hosts, delightful bedrooms - leave feeling nourished

Come for glorious walking countryside and warm fuss-free Sally, who gives you freshly baked scones when you arrive and beautiful bedrooms

Come for fine food and drink, sumptuous bedrooms and a relaxed, informal atmosphere at this gorgeous Cotswold manor house with ancient roots

Eat in the sheltered, quirky, outdoor dining area, enjoy Madame's colourful garden in its village setting - ideal for those on a budget

Traditional B&B in a beautiful château bursting with history and surrounded by formal gardens, then farmland and two fine rivers

In the gardens of a laid-back country house, a barn with books, games, faded rugs and a grand piano – a treat for convivial families

A beautiful villa with a medieval tower surrounded by formal gardens, gentle slopes of perfectly maintained vineyards and wooded hilltops

Three very special places to stay on one glorious estate. Gather those whose company you enjoy and immerse yourselves in beauty and history

Gather the clans and just come. It's lovely here among acres of wildlife-filled grounds – a Sawday's Community Champion

Linger over a fine breakfast and olive grove valley view, borrow a bike, take to the Francigena pilgrim trail, explore medieval Anagni

Light-filled gites share a lovely pool, with pétanque, ping-pong and bikes to borrow – bring friends and take all three

Ease yourself into a rather more gracious lifestyle from this sweet retreat on a historic estate with gorgeous walled gardens

Eco-friendly B&B overlooking Lake Como with marvellous mountain and lake views. Heaps of space, generous hosts, a menagerie of animals

A place of peace in the hills and a view-filled base for exploring by bike or for experiencing Reiki, meditation, yoga and more

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