An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

In pretty Vernon, a peaceful and comfortably large townhouse with roses rambling around the door

An exceptional villa with four acres of private gardens, high in the mountains and with stunning views over Lake Como - the perfect oasis

An elegantly renovated coaching inn with inspired design, beautifully simple pub food, tempting ales and gloriously comfortable bedrooms

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

A renovated bright apartment with lots of space, a hop, skip and jump away from the shingle beach of seaside-jolly Deal

A grand place for up to 12 adventurous souls and the young at heart: swim, bob in a boat, hike and cycle or simply revel in the greenery and peace

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

For walkers and lovers of wildly beautiful coastal country: two cosy old cottages and a bright, modern renovation in a cluster with others

Come for peace, art, photography and go out for delicious food near Galicia’s ‘seafood coast’. One of Spain’s undiscovered gems

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

Traditional family-run hotel with sitting rooms galore, award-winning food and Snowdon views. High teas and games room for children too

Small country hotel in a riverside setting near Giverny, with a superb restaurant and a charming village a few minutes’ walk away

Cosy apartment for two in a cluster of farm buildings near Hawkshead, surrounded by countryside and with a good pub a stroll away

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

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing

In an outstanding area for lovers of food and wine, here are 3 beautiful boltholes in the Alto Douro, the oldest wine region in the world

Wake to ocean views, breakfast overlooking the sea and a beach stroll in the afternoon from this smart lodge on the Dunskey Estate