If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A dear little gingerbread-style house in the prettiest part of the estate with your own pontoon and boat on the edge of a shimmering lake

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

A spacious and bright old sandstone farm building with private garden, all one one level and with lovely views over fields and countryside

A foodie and friendly reinvigorated old pub, with floor to ceiling estuary views. Bring the dog and hit the coastal path

A stylish base for those who want to explore the beautiful north – expect good food, stylish interiors and a pretty market town

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

In a mellowstone village with a jolly pub, a super raftered barn with generous touches. Friendly owners next door know the Cotswolds well...

Warm interiors, pretty bedrooms and excellent breakfasts – good value in a very handy central spot

Come to stay in a lovely old house surrounded by an important garden created by three generations of brilliant women gardeners

Once a lofty edifice for music recitals, now an original place to stay - with stained-glass windows, a bed on a stage and wild gardens

This gloriously off-grid stone farmhouse surrounded by untamed nature will suit those who revel in taking life at a more measured pace

A grand-looking stone building with fabulous views across the Derwent Valley from the terrace and garden – find quirky rooms and great food

Charming cottage in a vast garden with a swimming pool and boule; walk to the nearest village, drive to Côte d'Azur in less than an hour

Remote three-bedroom cottage in Northumberland National Park, with far-reaching views over hills and valleys and walks in all directions

Spacious bedrooms, friendly hosts and a classic English country house in a peaceful hamlet with walks from the doorstep

An ever-changing interior for this stunning pod, commissioned by a different artist each year. Creative, fun - a Sawday's Community Champion

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