Bridge Cottage is an idyllic thatched cottage situated in Peppercombe, a steep and wooded valley through which a stream runs down to a meadow before tumbling to a beach in a fine waterfall.

Brinkburn Mill sits next to the River Coquet at the bottom of a thickly-wooded valley. A mill has been on this site since medieval times, with the present building dating to about 1800.

This gatehouse is all that is left of Cawood Castle, once a stronghold of the Archbishops of York. It was here that Cardinal Wolsey was arrested for treason on King Henry VIII’s orders in 1530.

A cosy timber building in the atmospheric hamlet of Coombe, Chapel Cottage arrived in Coombe in about 1860 on wheels. Enjoy fine views over idyllic orchards that lead down to a stream.

Built for John Lanvin in about 1835, the colourful front elevation is heavily decorated with flamboyant lotus-bud capitals. This second floor apartment is one of three.

In the middle of a hamlet, Ford Cottage overlooks the bubbling stream as it winds its way towards the sea half a mile away at Duckpool.

Villa dei Vescovi is a Renaissance villa nestled in the vineyards and orchards of the Euganean Hills. One of two rooftop apartments, with views of the elegant orchards.

Villa dei Vescovi is a Renaissance villa nestled in the vineyards and orchards of the Euganean Hills. One of two rooftop apartments, with views of the elegant orchards.

This well-made house once belonged to a stocking weaver, whose trade made Tewkesbury famous in the 18th century. Set in a quiet lane, the Abbey and the River Avon are a short walk away.

Cowside is an atmospheric base to explore the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a rare survivor from the past both for its unaltered state and the wall paintings in its parlour.

Margells sits in Branscombe, a village that stretches down a picturesque valley towards the sea. The cottage, which we restored in 1976, is a fine example of a thatched 16th-century house.

Shute Gatehouse was probably built for William Poole, who purchased the estate in about 1560. Enjoy fine views of the deer park and live under a ceiling of exceptional Jacobean plasterwork.

This is an extraordinary Jacobean building whose fine upper room opens onto a broad terrace overlooking the remains of Old Campden House.

Winsford Cottage Hospital, designed by Arts & Crafts architect C.F.A. Voysey, is full of the clarity of design and craftsmanship found in his country houses.

Ascog House is situated on the sheltered east coast of the Isle of Bute. With elegant and airy principal rooms on the first floor, it is a typical 17th-century laird’s house.