A rather grand, opulent house with warm owners, interesting furniture and art and some fine Renaissance architectural elements intact

An upmarket, very comfortable old stone village house with tasty breakfasts and a sunny courtyard full of colourful flowers

Breakfasts with sausages from home-reared rare breed pigs, a big log fire and relaxed friendly hosts. Acres of garden and woodland paths

A lovely little bolthole for two on a gorgeous estate with restaurant, deli and superb gardens, sculpture walk and wildflower meadows

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

Plenty of uncluttered easy space both in and out by the private pool - children love the freedom - great wine, food, and cycling country

Full of country-hideaway chic, this special holiday home is in one of the loveliest parts of the Var, surrounded by 10 private acres

It's quiet among the lavender plants... bees humming, sun shining. Splash in the shared pool, visit lovely villages, taste local wines

This small hotel with pool has elegant communal spaces, spoiling bedrooms, kind staff, delicious food and panoramic mountain views

Unusual and exciting ex-Forestry Service station, now a contemporary eco lodge with huge windows and terraces for the views

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

A richly atmospheric elegance infuses this fire-warmed inn. Venison from the park, crab from Cromer, walkers and dogs happy in the bar

Serene, panoramic views from picture windows at this off-grid romantic bolthole in the hills with a cosy wood-burner and local treats

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away

A traditional Breton stone cottage, two minutes from the sea, with a large, leafy garden and glamping with activities in the summer months

In a small town in Salento is a cool southern house of elegant simplicity, ideal for a large family, near to beaches & 45 minutes from Lecce

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

The largest of three secluded cottages that share a gravel courtyard and a beautiful garden with cathedral views