If the honey-stone exterior, exposed timber beams and woodland surroundings didn’t make this 13th-century mill look like it had been plucked straight from the pages of a storybook, then the stream certainly seals the deal. Though it’s packed with rustic charm, there are plenty of luxurious trimmings – we were particularly fond of the Jacuzzi, located in the home’s underground vault. When you’re not pampering yourself in the sauna or enjoying a dunk in the hot tub, you’ll be sunning yourself in the garden. Relax by the swimming pool with a good book before sitting down to a slap-up Umbrian feast at the alfresco dining table. If you’d like to explore, stroll through the estate’s sprawling grounds or drive 20 kilometres to the city of Perugia for its medieval Torre degli Sciri, bustling Piazza IV Novembre and the National Gallery of Umbria, housed in the Gothic ​​Palazzo dei Priori.

Additional fees

• Your host can help arrange a variety of extra services during your stay, including massages and beauty treatments, wine tours, laundry and dry cleaning, fridge fills, restaurant reservations, private chefs, airport transfers, and car hire

• You can also arrange to have your breakfast cooked each morning – you only need to pay for the food

• If you’re travelling with children, your host can organise babysitting services – alternatively, a live-in nanny can be arranged at a cost of £475-£670 per week

Additional fees subject to a 3.5% handling charge.