High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

Lavender shortbread and baked peaches for breakfast at this most artistic of homes. The courtyard with magnolia and orange trees is lovely

An alpine hotel connected to nature with spa, sauna and swimming pool fed from a natural spring; mountains & lakes to explore, yoga classes, & more

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

A handsome château filled with intrigue and interest on the edge of a Bastide town in Landes. Your charming host looks after you with aplomb

Come for a quiet, spoiling B&B, delicious breakfasts, delightful wines and a stunning garden with pool in the heart of southern Burgundy

A mix of bold colours, modern art and vintage finds give this classic French mansion bags of personality

A scented garden, delicious local delicacies and those coastal landscapes. This place is a sensory feast

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 light and bright converted milking parlour in a rural idyll with a barbecue hut, a spa overlooked by horses and a shared hot tub

An old chapel, smartly and sustainably converted, with a hot tub to soothe tired limbs after country walks through fells and dales

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare

Green and serene, a striking array of eco cottages on a family farm where style and comfort reign, close to the coast but far from the crowd

Come for glorious walking countryside and warm fuss-free Sally, who gives you freshly baked scones when you arrive and beautiful bedrooms

There's a pared-back unforced elegance to this stone barn sitting quietly in its own grounds beside a cobbled courtyard awash with roses

Come for big open skies, sweeping beaches and the charming towns of north Norfolk from this pretty flintstone cottage in Docking village