In the heart of beautiful Siena, it's just like staying with a friend, as hostess Paola chats whilst preparing local produce for breakfast

An old pub with a new lease of life: smart buzzy eatery downstairs and two bright, spacious apartments upstairs - just minutes from the Heath

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

A delightful eco-friendly, off-grid bolthole in the Northumberland National Park with much comfort, massive views and in a Dark Sky area

Come here in the summer (it’s closed Nov-April except by arrangement) for candlelit dining, chintzy bedrooms, long views over the park...

Ensconce yourselves in the Black Périgord and stay in the East Wing of a 16th-century castle with private garden and surrounding parkland

2 super family apartments in the unspoilt Serre Chevalier valley, with a private chef if you’d like one, and delightful Pippa to welcome you

A lovely bolthole in remote North Yorkshire – follow stunning hill walks with a soak in the roll top bath, and a glass of bubbly

The farm is up its own track with wake-up Cheviot views over pine forests and fields of sheep. Luxurious bedrooms, large airy living space

A gorgeous house, beautifully refurbished in contemporary style, with chic interiors and a swimming pool in a sublime English garden

Feel like a film star in this fun, 50s-inspired former chapel with its own record collection; walk to the coast path or the friendly local

Walkers and wild-lifers, here is your place in the Pyrenees. Colour, character, a welcoming family, log fires and delicious home cooking

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Plenty of uncluttered easy space both in and out by the private pool - children love the freedom - great wine, food, and cycling country

In the city of Trapani, at the foot of Mount Erice, a nobleman's villa with a warm heart and exotic gardens. A hop from the Egadi Islands

Traditional accommodation and organic food; handy for Bari but set peacefully in the countryside near Toritto, famed for its almonds

A cottage for two on a wonderfully eco wine school and vineyard. Gaze at magnificent views from your terrace

You are treated like nobility in this gorgeous Manoir, enveloped by the towering cliffs and Aurélia and Julien's generous hospitality