Rest, restore, and explore... from this smart, successful Cotswolds’ gastropub with ancient beams, roaring fires and truly pretty bedrooms

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

Gorgeous old pile in five acres of blissful country between the Dales and the Lakes - it’s super relaxed and perfect for everybody

An incredible living museum, dedicated to the history of Sicily and the arts. Stay in the main house or in a cottage in the fecund garden

Light-filled chalet in a small hamlet just outside Châtel. Feast on superb breakfasts before heading out to explore the Portes du Soleil

Retreat to this sweet, peaceful cottage with suntrap courtyard garden enveloped in rolling hills just a short hop from the Jurassic Coast

One of England's oldest coaching inns, full of history and wonky floors, on a Surrey market town's high street

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

Old meets new in Benoit’s charming villa with courtyard pool, breakfasts to linger over and all the fun of La Baule on the doorstep

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

A babbling brook, the sound of birdsong and centuries of history steeped into the walls of this medieval barn, plus a heated indoor pool

A cosy and relaxing village inn in the heart of the unspoilt Ebble Valley (wonderful for walkers) with fresh bedrooms and excellent food

A very grand façade for this handsome Charente village house with a beautiful, peaceful garden, creamy stone walls and olive trees

Where else is breakfast served by candlelight in winter? Friendly staff, lovely bedrooms, off-street parking and Arthur’s Seat all wait

Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Tranquillity and comfort in a guesthouse in the Marche countryside - airy rooms for couples with huge windows onto good views