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

A village setting for this family-friendly cottage-in-a-row with private garden next to the owners' pretty 17th-century thatched house

Fine contemporary interiors within this half-timbered hillside villa, built with natural materials and with a beautiful pool and jacuzzi

A small hotel in the greenest valley facing super views of Picos de Europa National Park. Head out walking, spot wildlife, climb the peaks

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

Manor house in the grounds of a quintessential 18th-century French château with pretty gardens and lots of space just 3kms from Bayeux

Ease yourself into a rather more gracious lifestyle from this sweet retreat on a historic estate with gorgeous walled gardens

Generous, convivial space for big gatherings. A fantastic pool, plenty of outdoor space, and fun and games to keep everyone entertained

Gorgeous thatched country cottage bolthole for two - perfect for a romantic escape - bring the pooch and explore Somerset

A celebration of all things Somerset in a thatched village opposite the church and close to National Trust Barrington Court and Gardens

Surrounded by wildlife and water, this ultra-modern house has huge windows, white walls and designer furnishings. Blissfully remote

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

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

Rustic, quirky and layered with history, this is an exquisite slice of traditional Sicilian life, with welcoming and generous hosts

A wonderfully simple and modern studio with stunning sea views in an almost Jurassic landscape, dotted with the owner's sculptures

A lovely 1910 village house, deep in sleepy countryside, with delightful owners, delicious home cooking and a pretty garden for lazy days

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune