Prejudice and Pride: Exploring LGBTQ history

In 2017 we hosted events and exhibitions that told the stories of the men and women who challenged conventional notions of gender and sexuality and who shaped the properties in which they lived.

Download and listen to the stories of exile and tragedy, of loving relationships and scandals as we explore the lost and hidden LGBTQ histories of our places with a new six-part podcast series presented by broadcaster and author Clare Balding.

Kingston Lacy in Dorset was profoundly shaped by William Bankes, who fled England in 1841 to avoid prosecution for same-sex acts. He had no choice but to leave England and the home he loved but he continued to send back works of art and treasures.

Queer history and pioneering spirits: meet the three women of Smallhythe Place who found refuge in this corner of the Kent countryside to express their art, gender and sexuality, living together in a ménage à trois.

A shared vision: find out more about Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, who created Sissinghurst Castle Garden and enjoyed an open marriage with both participating in same-sex extramarital relationships.

Known as 'The Dancing Marquess', Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey was considered the 'black sheep' of the family owing to his eccentric behaviour and love of performance and costume.

The author Virginia Woolf was a leading light of the Bloomsbury movement in the early 20th Century. Her life was shaped by her unconventional approach to gender and sexuality.

Discover the life story of Lawrence of Arabia who lived at Clouds Hill in Dorset.