Have you considered Jersey ?
While it is very near France and has a French feel, it is very English, and accepts English money.
Many cheap airlines fly from the UK to Jersey and the flight is only an hour or so.
St Helier is the capital (and only large town) and is only about 4 miles from the airport and a regular bus goes between them.
The Island is very small (7 miles across) and has a great bus service to all parts of the island so it is easy to get around without a car.
It is very rural with loads of farms, and also some great beaches, and plenty of places to walk.
If you stayed just outside St Helier you would be in the country, but near enough to St Helier to take advantage of it if you wanted the shops and bars etc.
Here is an aerial shot of Jersey showing how many beaches there are, and how rural the centre is.
http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/images/je rsey.jpg