Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

Enjoy views of the South Downs from this converted milking parlour for 2 or 4 - fill up on the breakfast hamper and head out on long walks

A honey-stone 1800s house, sitting pretty in acres of fields and woodlands, with a pool, lovely gardens and a separate cottage next door

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

A wonderfully simple and modern studio with stunning sea views in an almost Jurassic landscape, dotted with the owner's sculptures

Traditional house in a rural part of the Algarve with a spectacular garden, a pool and a tennis court, and restaurants a short stroll

A proper old-fashioned inn dating from the 1600s with beamed ceilings, low doorways and winding staircases up to comfortable bedrooms

A relaxed old countryside manor house with a huge garden to roam. It’s 2km to sandy beaches and Judith is close by if you need anything

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

Provençale-meets-English country house to great effect – cycle Mont Ventoux, walk to the monastery, visit Roman towns and vineyards

An entire literary estate on the Brittany coast, with a trio of restored houses, fabulous gardens and a private path to the beach

A calm, leafy bolthole in one of Paris' most elegant districts. Step out to stylish boutiques, good bakeries – and the Eiffel Tower

Come for big skies, loch views, much wildlife, acres of forest and a charming wood-clad cottage from which to explore such a remote spot

An ever-changing interior for this stunning pod, commissioned by a different artist each year. Creative, fun - a Sawday's Community Champion

Superb views, generous hosts and roof terrace sunsets in a peaceful village between coast and countryside – authentic and full of charm

Secluded country house hotel with gracious rooms and dining; stroll the grounds, visit the coast, Beverley is only a five-minute drive away

Climb Snowdon - or take the train. Swim, cycle, visit Nat Trust houses. A deliciously quirky retreat for 2 (and babe-in-arms) near Anglesey

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily