Sunday 5 April 2009
Chedworth Roman Villa, Yanworth, Gloucestershire
These ancient, but surprisingly intact, remains of a Roman villa were built 1700 years ago next to a spring, overlooking a pretty valley. Today, they are adjacent to a Victorian shooting lodge and are owned by the National Trust, which has protected the stone bath houses, dining room and living room with incongruous wooden roofs. There isn't a huge amount to see, but young kids might find the latrines amusing before hurtling around the grassy courtyard, while adults will be impressed by the startlingly well-preserved and intricate mosaics in the dining room and the ingenious under floor heating system in the living room. Less impressive is the instant coffee (£1.50 a cup) and Ginster pasties on sale in the refreshments tent, while admission to the site seems overpriced at £6. 7/10