As several readers may know, my day job is looking after Chedworth Roman Villa in the Cotswolds. Chedworth sits comfortably within a region that supported some of the most prosperous rural estates in Britannia. Yet the world that sustained and shaped the villa extended far beyond the Coln valley.
BOOK REVIEWS
It is appropriate to begin with a declaration of interest: I contributed a chapter on Prynnsberg and supported the publication of this book. That proximity, however, also allows for a fuller appreciation of both its achievements and its limitations.
BLUE PLAQUES
The house was built in 1895 for Hennen Jennings, a mining engineer. In March 1901 it became the official residence of Sir Alfred (later Lord) Milner, British High Commissioner, and the man generally blamed for the outbreak of the war.