Up in the hills, with Hay Bluff towering beside, this old stone house is sheltered in the valley with the brook rushing past to a waterfall

A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

Bring the family for a traditional Tuscan apartment holiday with a restaurant and pool on site, all surrounded by rippling green countryside

Grand Scottish home with stunning views & a tea-and-shortbread welcome. Historic castles, local festivals, golf, East Lothian beaches abound

Once a hunting lodge, this unique and authentic 18th-century architectural folly sits up a quiet tree-lined drive on the edge of the estate

Rural peace just an hour from London in your own gorgeous converted hay barn, ten minutes from Alton

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

White-painted beams, wonky white walls and your own parking spot fairly nearby. You're near the harbour and subtropical gardens

Unwind comfortably here with views to the crystal-clear lake, surrounded by forest trails and meadows for wonderful walking and cycling

A striking modern villa tucked away off a small road above the Serchio valley with sparkling pool, gardens and Apuan mountain views

In château parkland, 10 minutes from Chinon, find books, beams and open spaces for three renovated houses, a delight for families

There’s a calm feel to this three-storey cottage, close to the centre of Bridport and the beach. Great for families, walkers and dogs

A smart launch pad for visiting all things Champagne-related and Reims with its enchanting cathedral. All is cosy, luxurious...

A stone built 18th-century tower in a pretty valley dotted with fruit trees for quiet and relaxed days recuperating from life in the city

Rooftop views of a Baroque town from heavenly flower-filled terraces and a truly scrumptious breakfast from Elisabetta make this one a must

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

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

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