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You are here: Home / Glossary

Glossary

Villa

1. The Roman word villa strictly means a farm. However, it is taken to mean the equivalent of a country house with decorative and specialised technological aspects. These might include hypocausts and mosaics and so on. Some argue that these had a military connection - either in building them, or the villa supplying the military. They are rarely found in the Roman north of England - but exceptions are Old Durham, (County Durham) and Dalton-on-Tees and Holme House, nearby in North Yorkshire.

2. A large 18th-19th century Post-Medieval specially designed house and gardens built on the edges of a town. Similar to the Roman example, in these often had important artistic or architectural points.

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