A true country classic set beside the road in a quiet spot with stunning views to the South Downs, great food and very comfortable bedrooms

A stone built 18th-century tower in a pretty valley dotted with fruit trees for quiet and relaxed days recuperating from life in the city

A handsome house with breath-taking mountain views: perfect for summer holidays and walking in spring and autumn

A 16th-century characterful gem right on the harbourside, serving excellent food at reasonable prices and with pleasant bedrooms

A delightfully Lilliputian Georgian cottage with all mod cons at the end of a terrace just a short walk to shops, cafés and the beach

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

All you'd hope for, and more! Enormous rooms, marvellous beams, majestic views and wines from their vineyard

A very tastefully restored old stone stable on a gloriously rural estate with woodland gardens, lake and a deer park

1800s coastal watchtower meets organic farm at a small hotel with a proud restaurateur and sea views from high mezzanine rooms

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

Step through a door in an old wooden gate to discover a courtyard garden on the edge of town close to golden sands

Up in the Cévennes, this big, beautiful family house has superb views, a fine kitchen, lots of space and masses to do and see

A B&B in a WWF-protected botanical garden beside Lake Maggiore. Wander and explore, take a dip in the lake. This place invites you to unwind

A chalet-with-everything: great mountain style, space and comfort with views of Mont Blanc, a sauna and bubbling hot tub

A lovely modern Provençal house, light and welcoming, in a valley of vineyards and forest, tucked peacefully away from the coast

A chilled, family-friendly hotel on a sandy surfing beach with huge views and a sensational pool with sustainability at its heart

Two peaceful spaces in a beautiful garden with a morning concert from the birds and a terrace for magical outdoor meals