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Why does the discovery of ‘Port Talbot’s Pompeii’ matter?
The discovery of a Roman villa at Margam, outside Port Talbot in Wales, generated huge amounts of publicity, but the press failed to get to the heart of why it matters.
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The 'Welsh Pompeii' is is a staggering reminder of how ancient history still shapes the modern landscape
Country Life's cultural columnist Athena takes a look at the Roman villa discovery in South Wales which plugs a centuries-wide gap in the chronology of the area.
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'This is an international institution, a great Regency building and a public face of London. It deserves something better'
The British Museum's proposal for a new temporary pavilion has every chance of casting a permanent shadow.
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Refurbishing the Palace of Westminster will be extremely expensive, but so too will be doing nothing
We must confront the neglect of Parliament.
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Athena: Stoke-on-Trent is a bellwether for our cultural and industrial legacy
A new report highlights the opportunities available in this once proud pottery city, but is there the financial and democratic will to do anything about it?
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The real challenge facing Britain's grande dame seafront hotels
Country Life's cultural crusader asks how we ensure the maintenance and conservation of seafront landmarks when the margins are so tight.
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The British Museum's successful attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII is proof that the institution is on the up
After years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
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£1.5 billion might be spent on Arts buildings, but who will be left to run them?
Spending money on bricks and mortar is one thing, but we must also reward the staff and experts that keep our culture alive.
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Is £1.5 billion enough to save our culture?
An announcement of capital spending to 'restore national pride' is welcome, but requires further scrutiny.
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Don’t old towns need saving?
Out with the old and in with the new isn't always a good thing, this week's Athena argues.
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What a report on the spending of female billionaires tells us about the future of museum collections
Between 2015 and 2024, the number of female billionaires grew from 190 to 344. Could this be good news for the art world?
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Athena: This Government must open its eyes to the contribution that heritage and culture can make to our economy
Heritage is a forgotten driver of growth laments our cultural crusader.
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Nôtre-Dame: An over-crowded Parisian triumph
Athena visits the re-built French wonder, and is more than impressed by the restoration work that has been completed so far.
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Wedgwood's craftspeople produce objects that dignify our lives daily in countless ways — here's hoping that better times lie ahead
Country Life's cultural commentator Athena analyses the concerning developments at Wedgwood.
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The proposed National Gallery extension is a ray of light in a stormy sector
The announcement of a new wing for one of the nation's top art galleries 'is a transformative initiative undertaken through private philanthropy to clear and universal benefit. What is there not to celebrate?'
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Athena: In the eyes of Government, will the Arts always be last?
After a year of Labour rule, life doesn't seem to be getting any better for Britain's cultural institutions.
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In our built heritage, is the truth stranger than fiction?
Athena considers how our historic buildings are presented in an age of film and television.
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Art saved for the nation? Not enough, it would seem
The recent publication of a report on export control of art from the UK makes depressing reading.
