Chic barn conversion with a swimming pool and country walks from the door; nearby Ventnor has a beach and great places to eat and drink

Light-and-colour filled cottage with gardens and sea views on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, a short stroll from Chesil Beach

It's quiet among the lavender plants... bees humming, sun shining. Splash in the shared pool, visit lovely villages, taste local wines

Come to be thoroughly cosseted and nurtured in this ancient Presbytery surrounded by rolling countryside with views of the Dordogne river

A stroll from the village, this comfy house in its terraced garden comes with a keen-cook's kitchen, a generous terrace and pool

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

A very comfortable, pretty cottage, safe for dogs and young children, surrounded by garden and mature woodland on the Badminton Estate

Lose yourselves in this picturesque castle, magical with its luxurious rooms and timeless atmosphere. Count and Countess are brilliant hosts

Beautifully connected, engagingly old-fashioned London pad, with a garden. Head out for Vauxhall Park, the Tate, Westminster...

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

Charming manor house B&B, packed with character, interest and history, sitting in extensive gardens and with elegant bedrooms

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London

A perfectly renovated farmhouse in the grounds of a delightful château deep in the Normandy countryside, with a lovely walled garden

An hour from Edinburgh, this large estate wrapped in ancient woodland & steeped in history is a super outdoorsy retreat – dogs welcome too

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

Come for an exceptionally inviting 17th-century inn, a chocolate-box Cotswold village, excellent local food and ales, very comfortable rooms

Up in the hills, an amazing family holiday with Lorna and Lee. Weekly paella nights, great pool, lovely walking. Beauty therapies, too...