Provençal charm floats through the ground floor of this 18th-century home in a vineyard near Lorgues. Walk, cycle, swim, enjoy the peace

An inspirational setting and an enthusiastic welcome from your hosts and their young family - lose your heart to its baroque beauty

A sculptor's studio, flooded with light, converted into a restful holiday home surrounded by glorious countryside, near Totnes

A perfect spot with views of hills, forest and vines, below the beautiful village of Castelnau de Montmiral. Walks, wildlife, wine tours...

Cosied up by the fire in your farmhouse high on the moor you’ll feel miles from civilisation, while Chatsworth is just minutes away

Take over this fine Georgian manor in leafy countryside close to the sea near Beaumaris and discover Anglesey’s beauty and its wildlife

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

Wild and peaceful small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama. Listen to birdsong, hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia

Submerge yourself in a magical landscape of sky, water and hills from this well-thought-out retreat, where silence reigns and peace is deep

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

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

Woodland retreat above Loch Tummel. Silence, sunsets and star-filled skies in a 70s bungalow that blends retro charm with modern comfort

Modern comforts, traditional cosiness and a warm welcome. There are walks from the door, country houses to visit and a pub in the village

Old meets new seamlessly here: ancient stone, lofty beams, good comfort, wood-burner, Jacuzzi/spa and space to relax in the designer garden

One of Scotland’s coolest hotels waits at the end of a four-mile track - you find loch, mountain and sky, and Tom’s fabulous food

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

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

An old farm worker's cottage, niftily done up and nicely remote, with walking and fishing on the doorstep, four miles from Hadrian's Wall