You'll feel ensconced in the countryside in this cosy cottage with a private garden overlooking the little vineyard and a secluded pool

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 wonderfully maintained Grade II listed country house in the Brecon Beacons with extensive gardens and panoramic views of the Usk Valley

Good looking barn conversion for sociable gatherings on an organic farm – meet the animals, take a day trip, go walking

A beautiful old farmhouse, carefully renovated with great authenticity and charm, surrounded by other farm buildings and a walled garden

Perched on a hilltop in a nature reserve, two lovely places to stay. Hike and beach-hop all day before relaxing in the pool

An enchanting Belle Epoque villa with a terraced garden and superb views across palm trees and vines to Mont Saint-Michel

A niftily converted barn with high vaulted ceiling sitting on a hill with wonderful views over a newly-created lake and the Stour Valley

A sleek space designed with the majestic surroundings in mind. You have your own private barbecue area and a shared large garden

Designed with style and comfort, peaceful, sophisticated and serene with countryside views. And you have your own lovely pool

Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

Sea views, fulsome breakfasts and plenty of fresh air on a traditional farm. A rustic treat: Southern Italian rural life at its best.

Steps from the sea in get-away-from-it-all scenery – half an hour’s walk from St Ives’ arty heart. Sleeps 4 with pull-out beds for 2 more

In glorious rural Umbria, a spacious old farmhouse with magnificent views of mountains and Lago Trasimeno, rustic décor and a lovely pool

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

An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

A lovely old house and rambling garden in a medieval village with a monumental château, 12th-century church and a good local restaurant