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

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

A family-run, environmentally friendly bistro with rooms near Grasmere: climb to the nearest viewing spot. Dogs welcome too

Enjoy convivial gatherings from this Georgian country house with acres of land, gardens and woodlands just a short hop from Durham

Where else is breakfast served by candlelight in winter? Friendly staff, lovely bedrooms, off-street parking and Arthur’s Seat all wait

A rustic-chic bolthole with bird's eye views to gaze at from your bedroom and the beautiful garden, tucked in a quaint hamlet in Maremma

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

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

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

Beautiful, and with a delightfully rambling garden, this early 16th-century manor has bags of room for happy days with family or friends

A light-filled, modern house with wonderful sea views through vast picture windows stretching all the way to St Kilda on clear days

Inspiring scenery for this lavender farm near a Provençal village. Rustic eco-friendly cottages, a hump-backed bridge, a hammock by the pool

Wow. The sort of place you long for on dreary days - inspired architecture, heavenly views, delicious home-cooked food, a lake for swimming

A peaceful, beautiful place to wake up in and to return to after glorious walks, with no near neighbours apart from curious sheep

Come to be inspired - by the buildings, the art, the concept and the rich history. You should be very comfortable too, and well fed

A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door

An elegant hotel that feels like a well-kept secret, with charming staff, understated rooms and great restaurants a short walk away

Victorian country house for 8-15 with gardens overlooking the Howgill Fells for happy reunions with family and friends