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    Bronwen Riley

    Bronwen Riley

    Bronwen Riley is an author, journalist and a planner of cultural and literary events. You can follow her on Twitter @bronwenriley.
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    The worst-behaved pets in Britain: 'They would grab a cigarette briskly from your lips and fly around the room with it'

    From leopards in the dining room and jackdaws in the kitchen to demonic dogs, crazed cats and the ferret who broke into a nursery, Bronwen Riley presents a whodunnit of the worst-behaved pets in the history of British country houses.

    • Fig 2: Vestibulum or entrance hall. Imagined as an estate office, a calculus is on the table; the cupboards are based on those depicted on a Roman sarcophagus. The concertina frieze is inspired by one from a 4th-century villa at Rudston, East Yorkshire. Villa Ventorum at The Newt, Somerset. ©Paul Highnam for Country Life

      Villa Ventorum: The Newt's recreation of a 2,000-year-old Roman house in the heart of Somerset

      The reconstruction of Villa Ventorum — a Romano-British villa at The Newt, Somerset — has prompted a wonderful experiment in living archaeology. Bronwen Riley steps into the past. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.

      By Bronwen Riley Published 9 July 23

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