Escape to this contemporary barn on a friendly farmstead with fern-fringed cliffs and walks galore on your door. Ask about ferry discounts

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

Brilliant hosts and a traditional country pub feel with warming fires, delicious food and fabulous bedrooms at this standout village inn

Cross an ancient stone bridge to a 1790s estate cottage, completely on its own down a little-used green lane and with the river rushing by

A comfortably stylish renovation of a 19th-century farmhouse, perfect for big groups & multi-generation families to reconnect in rural peace

A lake to fish, a terrace for evening sun and a choice of two spaces with a shared pool and games room, a short hop from pretty Auvillar

Gite retreats in château grounds - welcoming and wonderful for young families. Build castles in the sandpit, make friends around the pool

History, tranquillity and genuine warmth in a beautifully restored medieval château, deep in the heart of the countryside

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 pool, pines, and hosts that give you figs from their garden! Stroll to a pizzeria through the olive groves, return to 2 lovely apartments

Enfolded in gentle Dorset hills and surrounded by trees, a perfect wooden hut for 2 near beaches, River Cottage HQ and many beautiful walks

Set loose your inner castaway on your very own island with enthralling views and much wildlife a short boat ride from Skye

Generous apartments in a 300-year-old farmhouse with beautiful grounds and a swimming pool

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

Luxurious living combines with bleating sheep and bells from the church next door - 4 fabulous retreats on the Cotentin Peninsula

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

An enchanting escape immersed in nature yet only 40 minutes by train into the Eternal City for art and history-filled days

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area