Pippa tells you where to find wild flowers, babbling brooks and butterflies... and hike, bike and swim. Magic for families

An Edwardian villa with stunning views, polished floors, cosy fires and child-friendly garden a short walk from lovely Portmeirion

Unwind here in the rolling hills with the river bustling along, your own secluded garden and an unpretentious cottage full of character

Genuine hosts, fabulous food, a swimming pool and a private speedboat for exploring the coast; a sandy beach is a ten-minute walk away

You will fall in love with this very special Tuscan agriturismo between the mountains and sea: peace and simplicity prevail

B&B as it should be. Home-cooked breakfast in an Aga-warmed kitchen, a comfortable bedroom with garden views, a beach you can walk to

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

A great little place, hugely popular, with stylish bedrooms, lovely food, happy staff and a winning position on the river Wyre

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

On its own wooded estate, a special manor house of character. Art on the walls, maps and wellies to borrow, gardens to romp in, super views

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away

Light-filled gites share a lovely pool, with pétanque, ping-pong and bikes to borrow – bring friends and take all three

Orchards and ducks, open fires, deep comfort in glorious Wiltshire countryside. Courtyard bedrooms and lovely big kitchen too

Perched on a hillside between mountains and sea is this charming house in a modern Spanish style, engulfed by a beautiful garden with views

Sweep along the gravel drive through lawns and specimen trees to this elegant manor house with 17th-century roots

Fall asleep to the sound of the sea in your dreamy thatched cottage, one of 6, right on the beach for those head-clearing walks...

High in the heavenly hills is this very smartly converted farm building, with underfloor heating, much glass, wood and exposed brickwork

Attractive country barn - great for two families sharing, for river trips, for playing in the pool, for running free