Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

A lofty, spacious feel to this converted barn with stunning views over rolling hills, swooping swallows in summer and an honesty farm shop

Your very own château in the Dordogne for big family get-togethers and special celebrations

A spiritual, rustic retreat for nature-lovers, writers, artists. In protected woodland, well away from bustle, close to the lapping river

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

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

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

Bags of rustic charm in this elegantly restored retreat, perfectly placed to explore Sicily’s rich history and beautiful beaches

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

Tucked at the bottom of a long track and surrounded by a gorgeous natural landscape, is this generous end-slice of a 17th-century stone farm

A hideaway for two on an old farm, gifted to The National Trust for Jersey, with a pretty walled garden and circled by verdant countryside

A 200-year-old cortijo in a totally tranquil spot with gated pool, two acres of grounds, an orchard and olive terraces with mountain views

A big, beamed contemporary barn filled with light and surrounded by unspoilt countryside for a romantic retreat.

Tradition and comfort on the border with Wales, a welcoming country-house hotel with warm rooms, pretty gardens and delicious food

There's a lovely welcome at this manoir near the sea with its family-friendly room arrangements (cottages, kitchens) and its outdoor pool

A striking 19th-century landmark deep in ancient woodland, reborn as a pub with beautifully restored rooms just a short hop from London

Magical for nature lovers, with wraparound views to the coastline of Skye. Inside: warmth, luxury and not a whisper from the wildest gale

Cosy apartment for two in a cluster of farm buildings near Hawkshead, surrounded by countryside and with a good pub a stroll away