A little breathless from the walk, I stand on a wooded hillside, gazing down at a Roman mosaic floor and what remains of the villa that once surrounded it. There are no hordes of tourists and I’m not in Greece or Italy.
I’ve driven 20 minutes from my home town and wandered along a few miles of cool, green footpaths to reach this hidden marvel, housed within an unremarkable corrugated-iron shack. It’s a poorly kept local secret, mentioned by Bill Bryson in his book Notes From A Small Island, and I’ve wanted to see it for ages. And, since I’m the only walker on this particular day, it feels like a discovery for me alone… I’m the Christopher Columbus of Gloucestershire – and it’s thrilling!