This secluded New Forest inn is a magnet for families in summer: a good pint and the log fire make it a superb winter hideaway too

Music evenings, pop-up theatre nights and great food at the Sash brasserie. You’re just a stroll from shops and bars

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

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

A wisteria-laden pergola shades the sunny side of the farmhouse - in gentle olive country near the Sibillini Park, not far from the Adriatic

An open-plan kitchen, sunny terrace and fruitful gardens shine at this private hillside villa. From here, it's easy to ski, swim or sunbathe

A 1980s Catalan mas built in a traditional style, with garden and pool, surrounded by olive trees and vineyards near the Spanish border

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

A very pretty Victorian gothic house of limestone and brick, sitting peacefully on the edge of the village, eight miles from foodie Ludlow

Wisteria, clematis and roses clamber up this pretty stone barn conversion with its own big garden surrounded by mature trees and many birds

Your own apartment in a listed manor house with lovely light rooms and stunning grounds with views over farmland to the coast and Lundy

B&B in the heart of Totnes with bright bedrooms and a sitting room, plus an enchanting garden with ponds and wildflower beds

This eco-friendly farmhouse in the hills of Fiesole is 10km from Florence. Good company, superb views of Tuscany, and food for the soul!

A light-filled B&B packed with family memories and heirlooms in a small hamlet tucked into the foothills of the Dolomites

Feel like a film star in this fun, 50s-inspired former chapel with its own record collection; walk to the coast path or the friendly local

A proper old-fashioned inn dating from the 1600s with beamed ceilings, low doorways and winding staircases up to comfortable bedrooms

A friendly family-run inn, ideal for foodies and dog-walkers who love their comforts. Peaceful, remote, but with Sherborne a short drive

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away