A fine designer house and pool above the coastal hurly-burly and one of the loveliest coves in Spain, backing onto a nature park. Happy hols

Wow. The sort of place you long for on dreary days - inspired architecture, heavenly views, delicious home-cooked food, a lake for swimming

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

A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls

Near Southwold beach, bird reserves and Suffolk castles, a peaceful getaway with delicious breakfasts for nature lovers and bird watchers

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

A neat white cottage with thick walls and bags of comfort in Mortehoe. Walk the coastal path, surf the beaches, eat the catch of the day

A 15th-century Venetian palazzo, lovingly restored with stylish rooms overlooking the Grand Canal and a designer's insight into the city

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

Secluded place with home-grown food, much peace and walks by the river for a couple (or small family). Courses and solo retreats too

Philippe and Stéphanie give you delicious food and comfortable, colourful bedrooms in their ancient château with gardens and pool

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

A spacious, luxurious family retreat, remote but close to Audierne. Watch surfers shoot the waves as seagulls wheel above

A lovely, spacious 1830s house in the heart of arty Westport with nearly an acre of garden, an apple orchard and the river running past

Stylish B&B near the fashionable Chartrons quarter. A charming host, spacious rooms, a courtyard garden and delicious breakfasts

Stylishly simple cottage in the heart of the old fishing port of Méze, within easy stroll of seafood restaurants and sandy beaches

A gorgeous house, beautifully refurbished in contemporary style, with chic interiors and a swimming pool in a sublime English garden

Dark skies and extensive views from this romantic hideaway cottage. Walk down to the loch, snuggle up by the wood-burner… a cosy retreat