A traditional cottage in Polruan on the Fowey estuary with harbour and cove views and a tea shop and two pubs in the village

A great base from which to explore beautiful Pembrokeshire - walk by the coast, take to the hills, check out ancient St Davids

Stunning, spacious 3-storey converted mill with stylish bedrooms. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river, eat at a hand built oak table

A 17th-century traditional Welsh longhouse in a very sheltered spot facing south and with a pretty garden surrounded by fields and meadows

A friendly, generous, big old house with not an ounce of pretension. Big families will adore gathering here to have fun and unwind

Rural French heaven at this lovely farm within four hectares. Natural materials, neutral colours and a lavender-lined pool all to yourselves

A cosy bolthole on a scenic estate with red kites soaring overhead and views to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) - the walking is sublime

An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

One of five cottages on the Wern Estate, all comfort and charm, with a garden for kids, rockpools at Black Rock Sands and a mountain railway

A converted farmhouse set in a large mature garden, well located for exploring the delights of the Lot et Garonne south of the Dordogne

Small country hotel in a riverside setting near Giverny, with a superb restaurant and a charming village a few minutes’ walk away

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

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

Hear the rooting of wild boar and the odd splash of the pool. For those who love fresh air, great food, and the sweet hills of Umbria

An achingly elegant boutique hotel set in Mallorca's olives and orchards: candlelit organic dinners, infinity pool, a smart little bar...

Cosied up by the fire in your farmhouse high on the moor you’ll feel miles from civilisation, while Chatsworth is just minutes away

A lovely 1650 Welsh longhouse, beamed and flagstoned with a verdant garden in a totally unspoilt spot in the Snowdonia National Park