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
On 11 July 1900 a British column under General Horace Smith-Dorrien left Krugersdorp to assist the beleaguered town of Rustenburg. On this spot they were ambushed by the Krugersdorp Commando led by General Sarel Oosthuizen. Two guns of the Royal Field Artillery advanced to within rifle range of the Boers who held the surrounding ridge. Within minutes most British gunners and their horses were killed or wounded.