My Young By Name Blog - Debbie Young's Writing Life

My Inspiring Research Trip to Chedworth Roman Villa

Posted on September 12, 2026 by Debbie Young

Following an afternoon out at Chedworth Roman Villa this week, my head is still full of ancient Rome, and in particular of Roman mosaics.

I went to Chedworth Roman Villa as a research trip for the novel I’m currently writing, Death at the Village Knitting Circle. As all my novels are set in the present day, the relevance of the ancient Romans may not be obvious. However, the knitting circle meets in the education room of the new Roman museum in Little Pride – the setting for my Cotswold Curiosity Shop cosy mystery series.

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drawing of Wendlebury Barrow by T E Shepherd

Personal life, Travel, Writing

Funny Village Names in the Cotswolds

Posted on August 26, 2026August 26, 2026 by Debbie Young

You don’t have to go very far in Britain to find funny village names, nor on my own patch in the Cotswolds. One reason is that many names have evolved from ancient forms of English and other languages. Over time, they take on new meanings that bear no relation to their original designation.

For example, whereas Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter sound like villages you might encounter in a Hammer Horror film, they’re idyllic beauty spots, whose name derives from the Old English word “slohtre”, which means “wet land”. That meaning makes much more sense, given that they are set on the River Eye, and include a ford.

photo of ford and cottages at Upper Slaughter - a classic funny village name in the Cotswolds — Upper Slaughter – with not a drop of blood in sight (Photo attribution: Bs0u10e01, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Writing

New Uses for Old Stately Homes

Posted on August 19, 2026August 24, 2026 by Debbie Young

When I was writing my latest novel, Death at the Village Garden Party, my starting point was to wonder what would happen when industrial magnate Robert Praed acquires the local stately home of Bunbury House.

In the three earlier books in my Cotswold Curiosity Shop series, it’s clear that one of his sidelines is restoring and repurposing old buildings is one of his sidelines. It’s in keeping with his benevolent character to cherish his local heritage. These projects also gives him a good excuse to connect with Alice Carroll, whose shop sells cottage-core items with which he might furnish them.

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medieval archer shows off crossbow to my husband

Events, Personal life, Writing

My Close Encounter with a Crossbow at Monmouth Medieval Festival

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Debbie Young

When I enjoyed a day out at the Monmouth Medieval Festival a few weeks ago, I was surprised to come across the murder weapon used in my new cosy mystery novel, Death at the Village Garden Party: a crossbow. (Pictured with my husband, above.)

Fortunately, in this case, the crossbow was not in the hands not of a killer, but of a very pleasant fellow sharing his expert knowledge of medieval weaponry.

stall with medieval weapons and shields — More medieval weaponry, with the crossbow in pride of place between the two shields

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copy of Death at the Village Garden Party inside parcel box

Events, Personal life, Writing

In Praise of the Parcel Box – Featured in My New Book

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Debbie Young

Hurrah for the parcel box – a humble everyday item that plays a crucial part in my latest novel, Death at the Village Garden Party.

My husband, who is a very good handyman, built a wooden parcel box for our Cotswold cottage during lockdown, so that we could receive deliveries while social distancing.

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