Another bright, beamed and history-filled place to stay on the smart Upton Cressett estate with walks from the door and much comfort within

A contemporary country-house hotel with a lovely spa and peaceful gardens - Sandringham and the north Norfolk coast are close

A Regency farmhouse sitting in a wrap-around garden with views to mountain and sea for wonderful walking, cycling and swimming

A cosy and pretty old cottage for rest or romance, with garden and pool in a small hamlet surrounded by walnut orchards and mixed woodland

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

Escape to this contemporary barn on a friendly farmstead with fern-fringed cliffs and walks galore on your door. Ask about ferry discounts

Lovely rooms in this characterful villa, perfect for exploring Burgundy’s Grand Crus, walking to vineyards or sipping wine by the pool

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

Two villas on opposite shores of a big lily-covered lake, fed with natural spring water from the Ticino river and surrounded by gardens

Come for a village feel, rural peace and boundless Portuguese countryside at this charming whitewashed home with a super terrace with views

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

Near Vosges mountains, a happy homely hotel surrounded by woods and flower-filled meadows with friendly hosts. Deliciously peaceful

Traditional beamed cottage, tucked in the hills, with views to distant beaches plus colourful gardens and a pool

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

20 minutes’ walk from Gordes and a hop from Aix, find grownup peace and minimalism for lovers of modern style and timeless Provence

Return to warming fires after hiking in Ireland's highest mountains. Two traditional cottages on the outskirts of pretty Killorglin

A Victorian house on a 5000 acre estate, snazzily renovated and tucked down a track with a private lake, in the quieter part of Cumbria