A Day in the Life of Roman Britain

Villa Ventorum, Somerset

In May 2023 I was invited by Mark Book Group to give an author talk at the village of Mark in the Somerset Levels. I used to live in Mark, and it was during those years that I researched my first Roman Britain mystery, The Governor’s Man. That story is loosely based on actual events that took place in a nearby villa, in the AD 220s.

After the talk, two of the book group members asked if I’d been to Villa Ventorum, on a private estate called The Newt between Bruton and Castle Cary. I had to admit I’d never heard of it. They said it was newly-developed, and I would kick myself if I didn’t go. I filed the tip away. The Roman Society then obligingly arranged a group guided visit for members (including me) to go to the villa last Saturday. I had run out of I’m too busy-type excuses, so off we went.

I’ve never been more grateful for the serendipity of the right tip and the right organised event coinciding. To say I was knocked out, bowled over, overwhelmed, doesn’t begin to touch it. Let me show you a few pictures before I say more.

glazed window; lead flashings and guttering; view of the front; gorgeous carved bench

To begin with, the magic of Villa Ventorum, apart from the actual excavated remains (some under glass in the site museum), is the full-size, completely furnished and decorated replica of a large sumptuous villa, complete with stunning gardens. Plus a wonderful state of the art museum on site, with knowledgeable guides to answer any arcane question you chuck at them. If you’ve read my books, you’ll know I love the tiny details of life in Roman Britain. So I was fascinated by the exterior: the fixed hazy green glass windows, and wooden shutters over open windows for ventilation; the same crazy paving front door paths we use; and wonderful lead flashings and guttering on the roof. Yes, the Romans had gutters!

[Images: Garden water butt with wooden spigot; pool with stunning view; portico along the vegetable garden; exactly the bolting system I need for a scene in my forthcoming book, The Bath Curse.]

Inside, I was transfixed by the highly decorated floors, walls and ceilings. This house has everything: kitchen, reception rooms, large estate office, bedrooms that look just like ours (minus the electronic devices), central heating, an alluring bath suite with the cutest curved jacuzzi, even an internal minstrel’s gallery.

A visiting Roman guest; reception room; bedroom; your actual chilly marble loo.

[Note the marble loo pointed out here by the illustrious Sue Willetts of the Roman Library, my go-to resource when the research gets tough.]

The impressive dining triclinium; bright wall paint; the kitchen; Roman jacuzzi; the boss's desk; gallery.

You’ll see why I immediately wanted to move into Villa Ventorum. (After they’ve sorted out the central heating problem — apparently the hypocaust has coked up, and there’s a dearth of little slave boys available to clean it out. A robotic alternative has been sourced, and will be going into the hypocaust shortly to do the job 21st century-style.)

There’s so much more I could tell you, especially the amazing VR experience in Latin with subtitles, but I’ll just leave you with a selection of stunning artefacts in the stylish on-site museum:

Gorgeous glassware; some useful tools for makeup.

Outside in the villa courtyard is more amazing stuff, including a working winery, a proper bakery, and a bar selling hot food and Roman style wine. I think I’ll stick to modern wine-making, thank you. Here’s a snippet:

My April news/upcoming events:

• The 2024 CWA conference at Brighton last weekend was marvellous. I made new friends, met up with good crime writer buddies Fiona Forsyth and Elizabeth Ducie, and was wowed by the speakers (special mentions to playwright/crime writer Greg Mosse, writer and tutor Simon Toyne, and our after-dinner speaker, novelist Elly Griffiths). Can’t wait for CWA 2025!

• June is National Crime Reading Month, run by the CWA in tandem with the Reading Agency. I’ve teamed up with local crime writer Linda Mather, and we’ll be appearing in libraries all over Worcestershire to meet readers. Details soon.

• I’ve aired my stola and palla, and will be off to Castleford, West Yorks (Lagentium to you) to appear at the Castleford Roman Festival on 1st June. Please pray for fine weather, and come along to chat with me! Tickets here.

• The brand-new CWA anthology Midsummer Mysteries , featuring my own flash story, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is now available for pre-order. The book launches 23 July, and promises to keep your summer entertained!

[Jacquie’s latest Roman Britain mystery, The Loyal Centurion, is out in ebook and paperback now. You can follow Jacquie on social media, watch her research videos, and read her non-fiction articles at Linktree.]