Four bright and warm cottages with gardens, for families and friends, plus activities for children and endless walks for you and your dog

Within the city walls and right next to the Minster, this super-smart hotel gives you gorgeous bedrooms and delicious food

Contemporary lodge on a remote peninsula with spectacular views; walk, cycle or kayak, explore nature reserves and unspoiled beaches

A 16th-century characterful gem right on the harbourside, serving excellent food at reasonable prices and with pleasant bedrooms

Five tranquil apartments surrounded by Tuscan countryside just over half an hour's drive from Siena - hire them all for a group holiday

Sheep's Head Way is reputedly one of the best walks in Ireland. Come back to roaring fires, a Rayburn, art and style – terrific restorations

A stunning veranda wraps itself around the house: doze off in a wicker armchair or sip a drink at dusk as the sun melts into the valley

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

Fine contemporary interiors within this half-timbered hillside villa, built with natural materials and with a beautiful pool and jacuzzi

Rolling lawns, Georgian glamour and countryside views – gather the gang for slow days, wild walks and starry Northumberland skies

Delightful hamlet of beautifully restored cottages with a pool, surrounded by fields, forest and deer. The perfect spot for a digital detox

A reader writes, 'This place turned out to be one of life's wonderful experiences - a beautiful setting, gorgeous food, kindest of hosts...'

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods

A charming base in historic Beaulieu - expect delicious food, traditional country-house interiors, and walks that start from the front door

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

An art-filled home poised above Hastings Old Town in a wonderfully private, peaceful spot and with a lush, tropical garden

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

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani