Stylish interiors, beautiful rooms, lovely staff and wonderful food – all this in the Forest of Dean with great walking and cycling trails

Come for a big gathering of friends or family and take the whole house plus an extra cottage in the pretty gardens – swim in the pool, relax

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

A large, light-filled house sitting very much on its own in the middle of the peaceful Eden Valley with masses of space inside and out

Outside a perfect bastide village, an elegant manoir for lazy days in the Dordogne, fabulous dinners and glorious gardens

A big, beamed contemporary barn filled with light and surrounded by unspoilt countryside for a romantic retreat.

A homespun inn with irresistible prices in a tiny village deep in the country - the river Tweed is close, fishing can be arranged

A very special renovation of a 12th-century convent, now an elegant, tranquil place to stay with beautiful, bird-filled gardens

A splendid supper à la carte (three courses) is included here, together with airy rooms and sweeping gardens. The Solway Firth is close

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

The wow factor is set to eleven at this magnificent château steeped in French history and surrounded by acres of land (and a moat)

Between mountains and coast: come for peace and serenity at this small hotel framed by fragrant gardens and the mighty Sierra Nevada peaks

Beautiful views over Bantry Bay from this thoughtfully restored house with stylish rooms, gardens and woodland – a wonderful escape

Between Florence and Siena, stay in one of five stylish apartments on a family-run agriturismo; they delight in sharing this slice of heaven

A cool pub with smart rooms, English ales and Thai-inspired food. Farringdon tube is round the corner and you can walk to the Barbican

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

Be spoiled in this large stone house, with sumptuous bedrooms, thoughtful breakfasts and a verdant garden, just minutes from the city

A lodge house in magnificent gardens, which are all yours when visitors leave. A sweet retreat for anyone, but gardeners will adore it