There's a pared-back unforced elegance to this stone barn sitting quietly in its own grounds beside a cobbled courtyard awash with roses

Lovely old house with award-winning restaurant and indoor swimming pool. Sleeps up to 18 so just the ticket for a big family gathering

A pretty stone single-storey house, now renovated beautifully into a comfortable hideaway with wonderful views to woodland and river

A truly cosy cottage in a superb setting for happy holidays, with dogs welcome, beaches nearby and wonderful walking all around

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Stunning, spacious 3-storey converted mill with stylish bedrooms. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river, eat at a hand built oak table

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

A converted 19th-century church in the Northumberland National Park with beautiful stained-glass windows and a restored tower

A great spot for two plus two, with a decked area that gazes on copses, stream and treehouse. Wallow your cares away in the hot tub

An enormous picture window gives you views over fields of sheep and the Cheviots, beaches are nearby. Return to huge comfort and warmth

A stylish, thoughtful and impressive place for a family holiday, in a dreamy Charentais landscape with the odd sheep to keep you company

View-filled apartments in Ortigia, the heart of Siracusa. Immerse yourself in the blue of the Ionian Sea; walk to culture, shops and restaurants

A spiritual, rustic retreat for nature-lovers, writers, artists. In protected woodland, well away from bustle, close to the lapping river

A working farm with well renovated ancient buildings among 200 acres of pastures and forest. It's quiet here in the glorious Périgord

A very special old priory from the late Middle Ages and a separate tower with lush, rambling gardens, sitting in a charming, sleepy village

Bright, cosy cottage in a quiet Devon village – 4 miles from Totnes – with 2 good pubs nearby and an en-suite ground-floor bedroom

Picturesque cottage in the grounds of a grand manor, lovingly and creatively restored by its welcoming English owner

A gracious 17th-century manor house and a pretty Grange hidden down a tree-lined drive and with stunning views over woodlands