Description Hide Description- Show Description+
Both celebratory and reflective, this captivating guide sheds light on the LGBTQ heritage of many National Trust people and places in the UK.
It commemorates figures such as Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, owners of Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, but also delves into the lives of lesser-known individuals associated with National Trust landscapes and collections, such as William Bankes, who fled from his home at Kingston Lacy to avoid prosecution for homosexuality, and lived abroad for the last 15 years of his life, as well as other well known figures like William Beckford, Rex Whistler, Virginia Woolf, T.E. Lawrence, Henry James, E.F. Benson and many others.
From Smallhythe, Monk’s House, and Nymans in the South East, to Kingston Lacy in the South West and Ickworth in East Anglia, the National Trust is exploring places that have been shaped by the sexuality of their inhabitants, workers, owners, and guests. This guide brings to light turbulent stories of exile and tragedy, tales of loving relationships and family, and sometimes challenging histories of public front and private expression. Lavishly illustrated, this book features a foreword by noted lesbian author Sarah Waters.
Authors: Alison Oram and Matt Cook
Paperback, 57 pages, Published June 2018