Great for gatherings of family and friends: fine views, a good big kitchen, games room and pool; nearby caves and castles to explore

An authentic, charming and spacious home with garden, pool and lake, deep in the Dordogne valley and decorated with uncluttered elegance

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

Hideaway at the bottom of the garden with a little courtyard and far-reaching views; walk to the village pub or take a day trip to Bath

Head inland for grand walking or to the glorious coast from this very pretty cottage with a private garden, suitable and safe for dogs

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

A gentle, calm, immaculate place for an all-season family stay, near wine tastings, castles, caves and canoeing. Everyone loves the Dordogne

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

Rooms in the house overlook the vineyard, the lodges are surrounded by it - check out the vines, then drink their wine with a good dinner

Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

Two lovely places to stay down by the shore of Clew Bay for much peace, space and modern comforts in a magical watery world

An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

Modern comforts, traditional cosiness and a warm welcome. There are walks from the door, country houses to visit and a pub in the village

A grand spot with superb Peak District views for this secluded, immaculate conversion of a handsome stable block - spacious and light

Spread out in much style with friends or family in a beautifully renovated Victorian farmhouse at the foot of the Howgill fells

A destination for epicurians who also want exquisite surroundings and comfortable bedrooms. A charming garden too with a very French feel

A sylvan hideaway tucked into the hills of the Southern Alps, full of Provençal charm inside and out – Saint-Cézaire and the coast are close

An historic, moated manor house dating from the 16th-century, fully restored and with all mod cons, including an indoor heated pool