Genuine hosts, fabulous food, a swimming pool and a private speedboat for exploring the coast; a sandy beach is a ten-minute walk away

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

Deep in the Wye Valley you’ll find wild swimming, kayaking and down-time. This cottage is a spacious yet cosy base for any adventure

Idyllic cottage hidden in deepest, foodiest Somerset - bask on your own patio among roses and sweet peas. Bring bikes - loads to explore

If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A scented garden, delicious local delicacies and those coastal landscapes. This place is a sensory feast

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

An 18th-century townhouse restored with flair by former restauranteurs: come for colour, comfort and sublime dining

A small, trendy hotel, very much of its time, with oodles of style, stunning bedrooms and fantastic staff

A bright comfortable retreat in an enviable spot - riverside walks, Botanic Gardens and all the hip eateries of Stockbridge on your doorstep

Come for an exceptionally inviting 17th-century inn, a chocolate-box Cotswold village, excellent local food and ales, very comfortable rooms

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

Stunning views from sunny bedrooms. Delightful lively hosts, good breakfasts with homemade jams, colour galore in the acre of garden

Wander down a pebble path to this large, light holiday home near La Rochelle. Eco-friendly, accessible to all, and perfectly peaceful

A sweet bolthole around a courtyard on a smallholding, extremely comfortable, bright and spacious inside and with a communal garden

A lovely 19th-century stone mas with south-facing terrace, garden and pool for relaxed family holidays, just off the D99 in a small hamlet

A scrupulously renovated dog-friendly gate lodge with garden and outdoor dining area, a five-minute drive from Mount Congreve Gardens

Two rural retreats up a shared drive for gatherings of friends and family who enjoy the great outdoors and good food from the Meikleour Inn