Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

A really well thought-out escape for a small family with children. A big garden, pool, petanque court and play barn for indoor fun

A large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

Rural peace just an hour from London in your own gorgeous converted hay barn, ten minutes from Alton

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

A smartly refurbished village pub with its own micro-brewery and a huge emphasis on cooking great food from a network of local suppliers

You're beautifully looked after in this gorgeous Tuscan house. Come for Alpine walks, historic trails and wild nature all around

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

High up and with splendid views of the estuary and harbour, this roomy apartment is a very comfortable base for seaside holidays

Friendly inn close to Glastonbury. Locals come for breakfast, there's a lively bar and excellent bedrooms, some with a bath in the room

A peaceful old ivy-clad mill with a beautiful terrace overlooking the water, sculpture-filled gardens, comfortable bedrooms and hearty food

A peaceful cottage for 2-4 between the Dales and the Moors, with swallows in the barn, an idyllic village, and a garden to explore

In the beautiful Somerset hamlet of St Catherine, a cosy wooden cabin surrounded by fields and woods. Wonderful walks from the front door...

An old farm worker's cottage, niftily done up and nicely remote, with walking and fishing on the doorstep, four miles from Hadrian's Wall

Come for very comfortable B&B suites with garden views in a converted 1880s barn with its own charming sitting and dining rooms

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

Choose between airy bedrooms up an elegant stair, or magnificent rooms at garden-level with private terraces. Find sweetness and warmth