An ancient building filled with beauty and sitting in the quietest SSSI valley, criss-crossed by medieval drove ways buzzing with wildlife

A beautiful rural escape for couples or families with the delights of the Cotswolds all around. Dogs very welcome too

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool

A village setting for this family-friendly cottage-in-a-row with private garden next to the owners' pretty 17th-century thatched house

Once a shooting lodge, this stand-alone big building was part of a medieval estate and you can still see the grassy mount and dungeon tower

A cosy and pretty old cottage for rest or romance, with garden and pool in a small hamlet surrounded by walnut orchards and mixed woodland

A friendly, generous, big old house with not an ounce of pretension. Big families will adore gathering here to have fun and unwind

A small and stylish townhouse retreat in leafy Folkestone with excellent bedrooms and a terrace for breakfast in summer

A listed townhouse with 16th-century roots in lovely little Wells with a pretty garden, just a short walk to the magnificent cathedral

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

This stylish little art-filled inn has comfortable rooms, is surrounded by good walking countryside and serves delicious food - rest here

A fairytale château with ancient roots, now beautifully renovated with lovely bedrooms, terrace, garden and ponds for gracious living

Friendly hosts, good food and clever design in this house looking over Kilmartin Glen. Slow down, watch the sunrise and marvel at the peace

Two peaceful spaces in a beautiful garden with a morning concert from the birds and a terrace for magical outdoor meals

A vine-clad stone house hideaway for lovers, walkers, artists and hermits with a sweet veranda overlooking woodland down to the river

A peaceful cottage for 2-4 between the Dales and the Moors, with swallows in the barn, an idyllic village, and a garden to explore

Such lovely views from this light-filled flat, built in the 19th century – curl up with a book and gaze out to sea

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate