Minutes from the beach, this listed retreat comes with beautiful rooms in classical style, charming hosts and a family-run restaurant nearby

It's not often you get an entire hamlet to yourselves but here it is – 10 traditional stone houses with big communal spaces in rural bliss

A quintessentially English thatched village cottage with the working post box set in the front wall, sunny patio and garden with pond

A bright colourful farmhouse with wood-fired hot tub, wood fired pizza oven, stunning sunsets and glorious countryside all around – a dream for groups

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

A gorgeous eco-build set in a wildflower meadow a short walk from thriving Presteigne and with a shepherd’s hut for spillover

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

Stylish seaside inn with stunning salt marsh views from a decked terrace, delicious food, wine and ales and sea-breezy modern bedrooms

A very comfortable bolthole in pretty countryside with ample opportunity for outdoor pursuits – fishing, golf, tennis, cycling and walking

Art-inspired B&B in a former silkworm factory. Swim in the eco-pool, feast on delicious food, explore Avignon, Arles and Roman ruins

Come for Michelin-starred Irish food, cooked with flair – not fuss – for comfort and to connect with the extraordinary Burren landscape

Coffee served in silver cups & cakes are homemade in this duke’s palace, a throwback to the Moorish kingdom - a Sawday's Community Champion

A place of peace in the hills and a view-filled base for exploring by bike or for experiencing Reiki, meditation, yoga and more

Lawns, paths and walnut trees, rolling views in every direction... a serene place to stay in every season. Sweet luxury for a big family!

A spacious old house for family get-togethers in Ashton village, little changed since its Victorian inception as a model village and farm

Feel French in this very beautiful 300-year-old house with a large garden and pool in a hilltop medieval village of winding, cobbled streets

Stylish apartment overlooking a vibrant market in the old city, with restaurants and historic attractions in easy walking distance

An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter