Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Cosy country cottage for four on an organic farm in the Welsh borders. Wake to the sounds of birds and sheep, walk off supper on rural romps

Refined palazzo with a rooftop terrace near the historic centre of Ostuni. The Valle d’Itria region and the coast is on your doorstep

A sweet retreat for a nature-loving couple, with soul-searching views and the smell of the sea. Logs and Breton cider are on the house...

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

The North York Moors National Park is on the doorstep of this friendly B&B with glorious views, generous breakfasts and kind hosts

A working farm with well renovated ancient buildings among 200 acres of pastures and forest. It's quiet here in the glorious Périgord

A charming transformation of a once boarded-up pub in a pretty village setting, beside the river Wye in the heart of the Peak District

Secluded place with home-grown food, much peace and walks by the river for a couple (or small family). Courses and solo retreats too

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

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

Deliciously comfortable, hospitable, boutique B&B - in a secluded village within easy reach of Reims and the vineyards of Champagne

Discover warmth, tranquillity and wonderful breakfasts behind the handsome old door of this luxurious small hotel in Lucca

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

A honey-hued family home clad with vines and roses with a swimming pool and heaps of space – perfect for families

Good old-fashioned hospitality in a quiet Highlands cottage ringed by roses and roe deer. Forest and coastal walks, shortbread and tea