A smart village local with original timber frames, a lively bar, elegant rooms and delicious food from the fields around you

Surrounded by vines and swept by sea breezes, two lovely, simple gîtes with a gorgeous shared pool and a courtyard for boules

A stylish, rug-cosy, stone-flagged cottage with vintage and modern furniture, wood-burners, patios and views - and three excellent pubs nearby

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

A spacious, luxurious family retreat, remote but close to Audierne. Watch surfers shoot the waves as seagulls wheel above

A highly unusual place to stay, with modern, clean lines, built around an ancient chapel with 15th-century roots in the old Jewish quarter

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

Former hunting lodge with a swimming pool on a 700-acre wine estate in the Valdera surrounded by vineyards and authentic villages

Step into the valley region from this beautifully restored 17th-century house surrounded by saltwater and freshwater canals and lakes

Come for much comfort in both buildings which face each other across the garden, plus a pool, lake, yoga and fitness studios

A gracious 17th-century manor house and a pretty Grange hidden down a tree-lined drive and with stunning views over woodlands

This small hotel with pool has elegant communal spaces, spoiling bedrooms, kind staff, delicious food and panoramic mountain views

Wonky floors and handmade beds in a restored coaching inn for 4, 6 or 8 - sociable evenings round the farmhouse table, walks from the door

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

Live like a local. Art lovers, book lovers and walkers will be happy here above an art gallery in the centre of town

A niftily converted barn with high vaulted ceiling sitting on a hill with wonderful views over a newly-created lake and the Stour Valley

Beautifully connected, engagingly old-fashioned London pad, with a garden. Head out for Vauxhall Park, the Tate, Westminster...

Three airy gîtes set in 300 acres of vineyard and gardens. A welcoming base for exploring the marvellous Minervois – 15km from Carcassonne