A 17th-Century Irish castle on the water’s edge. Watch the yachts from your bedroom, join local wine nights, discover the rich history

A characterful coaching inn in a lively market town surrounded by manicured countryside - Chester's mighty Roman walls are close

Cool, airy villa with Lake Como glistening below. Beautiful terraces and garden, plunge pool - and chilled prosecco and cake to welcome you

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

You’ve got history on your doorstep in this beautiful and serene B&B, with charming gardens and a real sense of style in every room

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

A fuss-free, informal place to stay with family - your own entrance straight from the garden and tasty breakfasts set up in a summer house

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

Head inland for grand walking or to the glorious coast from this very pretty cottage with a private garden, suitable and safe for dogs

Come to walk, cycle, fish and hunker down in style in front of the wood-burner - sleep in deep comfort in a lovingly converted barn

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

Stunning Tuscan views over the Tiber valley from the gorgeous pool and gardens and very comfortable living spaces at this home-from-home

A 15th-century courtyard hides a petite contemporary apartment – a fabulous base from which to explore the city and all its treasures

A gorgeous house in a buzzy Somerset village, celebrated for its excellent local produce, with a pub, bakery and market garden

A charming renovated stone gîte only 15km from Bergerac with a large outdoor pool, pretty gardens and walks and cycle rides from the door

A smartly refurbished 500-year-old coaching inn with very comfortable bedrooms, good food and the Peak District at your feet

A sleek, minimalist Scandi pad for two, one of five properties created out of ancient buildings on a 3,000 acre working hill sheep farm

Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families