Much as I love to travel, I’m unashamedly a person who loves to be in her own home. Our old Dorset cottage has all the quirks you might expect from a property built in 1700, and while it took me some time to get used to its idiosyncrasies

– from the strange whistling of the wind in the inglenook to the rattle of an upstairs door set off by a footstep on the stair – there’s now something comforting about all those familiar creaks, and I never feel more relaxed than when I’m pottering about there.

I’m clearly not alone in feeling like this. The houses in this issue are all very different, but the passion they engender from their owners is exactly the same. Take, for instance, the wonderful manor house in Nottinghamshire which was the owner’s beloved childhood home, and is now a family hotel (page 16). Then there’s the pretty Surrey cottage (page 48) given a new lease of life by its current owners with a fresh, light décor, while the tiny farmworker’s cottage on page 28 has been transformed into the sweetest of holiday hideaways. All very different, and all very special.

On an altogether grander scale are the three palaces which feature in our new series Landmarks of London (page 92). Once home to some of our most famous monarchs, these spectacular buildings are rich in history, and fascinating places to visit, although I wonder if those Kings and Queens ever truly felt as if they’d come home to relax when they reached their magnificent entrances…

For the occupant of the butler’s pantry which we explore on page 9, however, this cosy below-stairs room must have seemed a truly welcome retreat from the demands of his formidable position – a contrast indeed!

Whatever your home and wherever it is, I hope you too continue to enjoy the best it has to offer, and that we inspire you to make it even more special… There really is no place like home.