What a surprise to find a masseria in the heart of a Puglian village. Welcome to Anna’s elegant agriturismo

By a lake, enclosed by woodland - a contemporary house and barn, full of handmade furniture – laze in a hammock, walk the Jurassic Coast

You'll feel ensconced in the countryside in this cosy cottage with a private garden overlooking the little vineyard and a secluded pool

Beautiful light-filled eco-homes in Loch Lomond National Park – Scotland’s treasures are easily reached from here

Just one hour from London, this remarkable house sits on a unique family-owned Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

A countryside escape for 2 near Chepstow with traditional interiors and cheery wood-burner. Not suitable for children but dogs very welcome

Bags of character within and without at this four-storey village house with rooftop views over the mountains, next to a 12th-century church

Just below the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima, an agriturismo loved by sporty types and families, with wonderful food on site

A charming 17th-century village inn, a destination place for foodies and real beer lovers, with very comfortable and stylish bedrooms

A quirky hotel with enthusiastic owners in an authentic Andalucian town, just ten minutes up winding roads from Marbella

A warm and colourful B&B with generous owners, elegant bedrooms and an outdoor pool, in the heart of a pretty town near Toulouse

A niftily restored, open-plan, beamed hayloft, just the ticket for romantics, with gorgeous views of fields and open countryside

A modern take on an Iron Age roundhouse with stunning sea views in Scotland’s wild west, perfect for couples

You have the whole North Wing of this beautiful old farmhouse with a private east-facing courtyard for early morning tea as the sun rises

A very comfortable, pretty cottage, safe for dogs and young children, surrounded by garden and mature woodland on the Badminton Estate

Elegant country château with a family feel, for big groups with or without children, and those who seek inspiration

Pretty, thatched, perfectly round: a romantic village bolthole with retro touches. Grab flip-flops, leads and run the dogs on Pendower beach